Seraphic Accident
by One Great Mind
Summary: **REPOST** A surprise pregnancy that led to a forced marriage...but underneath it all, love prevails. (This is a repost so the Author's Notes are the same as I posted it the first time)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note Below.**

 **Prologue**

It's past twelve midnight and he still isn't here. My fingers clutched my wedding ring, the twists implementing my anxiety. Various scenarios crippled my thoughts. Was he involved in an accident? Was college pressuring him too much? Or . . . my fingers shook mightier in fear . . . was he with another girl?

My heart beat faster than usual as I sent probably the five hundredth text message to him. I've been trying to call him and ask where he was but he never answered nor did he send a reply.

"Baby, don't stress too much, okay? We'll pray that Daddy's safe." My hands caressed my six month bulging belly and my child was moving worriedly. He or she may have not been born but both of us love Christian equally. I've been looking at the window for hours already and I decided to wait longer since I didn't want to bother Grace or Carrick or Mia, my best friend.

When the clock finally signalled that it was three o'clock he slammed the door open and with his wobbly walk and disgusting smell, I instantly knew that he was drunk. My heart ached so much to see him this way. I know that he never wanted to marry but was it ever this bad to make him act this way?

He made it seem like it was hell being with me when all I ever did was hug him.

"Christian, where have you been? I've been worried sick!"

Gone was the composed smart boy I fell in love with. He was replaced by a man with slurry words and alcohol breath.

He pointed at me, "You! You are the reason why I am miserable," he laughed forcefully, "Going home to you is going home in hell, Anastasia! Fuck! I am so screwed in this life."

"Christian, you're drunk. Come on."

"You know what? You disgust me. You disgust me so much! You forced me into this! YOU STOLE MY LIFE FROM ME!" He raised his voice and it was enough to make me cry. I wrapped my arms around my pregnant belly as if I were protecting our baby.

Then Christian's pointing finger descended down to my belly and he broke my heart twice when he said, "You! I've never wanted you. I never intended you. You ruined my life too. You're not just my child. YOU ARE AN ACCIDENT!"

"Christian!" I screamed back for the first time and slapped him. He was lying down like a broken drunken man—passed out as if he was the most wretched man on earth. I imagined him finally talking to our baby or even acknowledging his presence and when it finally happened, the first time he ever talked to our baby . . . he was a cruel man. Far from the man I've been in love with since forever.

That's when I finally realized and accepted. All hopes lost. Christian, my husband, will never love me.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Until You Love Me Back is very nearly gone and I've had this idea in my head for quite some time and it's time to unleash the angsty side of me.**

 **Warning: this is AU. So that means no BDSM but Christian will forever be CEO for me and they're teenagers in this story so . . . yeah it'll be different so if you don't like different then stay away.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Margo.**


	2. Part 1 Chapter 1

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 1**

" **In the face of true love, you just don't give up even if the objection of your affection is begging you to." – Chuck Bass, Gossip Girl**

 **Chapter 1**

It's officially the end of the world for me. Panic was starting to arise. I never meant for this to happen. Never have I ever imagined myself sitting still on the floor of the bathroom looking at the positive sign of a pregnancy test. No, seven pregnancy tests actually and they were all positive. No, no, no, please God know. I shook it over and over until I threw it on the floor and stepped on it with full force. It was crashed but the smiley still was showing up devilishly reminding me that I have a baby inside me.

That's when I sobbed so hard. I'm only seventeen. How can I ever be a mother? I don't even know how to wash my clothes neatly. How can I be the light of a baby's life?

"God help me. I am really sorry." I folded my arms as I called out for help. I felt completely alone. My fear was confirmed. I was officially becoming a mother.

How did I get here?

There were four first names and one last name.

Carrick Grey. He's an owner of one of the most successful law firms in the country and it almost went down when he got addicted to heroin. He was a recovering drug addict who almost killed himself due to the withdrawal symptoms. My father being the reverend of the church showed him the hope and since then he got cured and became a very active member of the church. My self-righteous mother became his biggest fan since then. That was when I was in freshmen year of high school and because of the sudden closeness I found the best friend in the world.

Mia Grey. She's my twin soul. She finishes all my sentences and she's always there to stand up for me no matter what. When everyone was so harsh to me she was there to remind me that I am worth so much more. She always cried because of the boys and I always had my arms open when she needed to weep. There's not a day we don't spend together. This time though, I can't let her know that I'm pregnant.

Elliott Grey. He forced me to attend the stupid party and as usual he didn't even talk to me when I arrived. He was surrounded by his friends who thought of him as a God. He was the wild one and I was doubtful why we were even close despite of our differences.

Christian Grey.

Where do I even begin?

Christian Grey. He struck me like lightning the first time I ever laid eyes on him. He's one year ahead of me. I was a first grader when I saw him reading a book. They said lightning only struck twice but for me it was a million times. There was an electric fusion in my veins each time he was around. That didn't stop until we have grown up. I was too shy to speak to him and it was like a miracle when our family got close. He was always around and I had the chance to talk to him.

We're friends and that's the most hurtful thought. We're just friends and he clearly didn't want more. I was always there when he let me, but Mia already told me enough. I didn't stand a chance when it came to him. I still love him though so maybe that's why I never gave up.

The party? He was drunk and I was not. He was speaking these sweet words to me and when he kissed me, I couldn't stop myself from kissing back. Let's just say that the result of that night was this baby inside my still flat stomach.

I punched the wall again. No words could describe how disappointed I was of myself. What shall I do? I only have three options: First, get rid of this baby and be guilty for the rest of my life. Second, put this baby up for adoption and get my heart crushed when I see it taken cared of by strangers. Third, raise this baby and feel pain everyday knowing that my dreams were given up.

All options led to an impasse—the inevitable road of getting hurt.

"Anastasia, it's time for bible study." Mom knocked on the door of the bathroom and I immediately disposed the pregnancy tests.

"Coming mother!"

Every Thursday was family night and by that it meant reading the bible. Both my parents were extremely religious. I could say I was too but then again despite their beliefs, they weren't the best people. Dad, despite his imperfections strived to be the best and it hurt me knowing that I've disappointed him forever.

We were studying the book of Jeremiah while the three of us were in the living room and out of nowhere, Mom expressed, "You know what? Jessica is pregnant. Oh my goodness! I am so disappointed at her. Years of being active in the choir and shows up with a huge belly!"

My body tensed and fear consumed every fibre of my being.

I softly asked, "What's wrong with it, Mom? She's already 22 and she's pregnant with her boyfriend of five years."

"Young lady, she may be 22 but it still meant premarital sex! That is the worst thing a woman can do! You can kiss all you want but to open your legs is extremely too much. My goodness! She just made the greatest sin!"

"Carla, come on. We need to study the bible first."

"Ray, no. If it happened to Ana then she should find another mother." I held on to the couch and it almost felt like everything just came crashing down. My heart beat so fast and I couldn't imagine how much things could get any worse.

Dad smiled, "It will never happen to our daughter, Carla. Never. Ana grew up in the eyes of the Lord and she knows the difference between right and wrong. Ana will never end up pregnant out of wedlock."

He winked at me and that made me sad. I hated myself even more.

We studied the bible that night and I slept not before I vomited again.

The next day, school was really stressful and it didn't help that from time to time I get headache. This baby inside me was pissing me off. Aside from the fact that I didn't know what to do with it, it just made me hate the smell of random rooms and made me crave for food combinations that usually don't go together. In short, this baby was making my life miserable and it's starting to make me really mad.

I didn't know what else to do. Mia's my best friend but she wasn't the most logical person in the world. I bet she couldn't help me out with this.

So when lunchtime came, I went to the library and found Christian reading a book about accounting. That night happened a month and a half ago and this would be the first time the two of us talked.

Any person would know why I was so smitten with this boy. He wore glasses and it looked more of fashion rather than necessity. His lips were red and his tousled copper hair emphasized his youth. His eyes reminded me of ashes and the way he wanted to achieve his goals of being a successful businessman made me so in love with him.

"Christian? We need to talk."

His eyes lifted from the book he read and he questioned, "Are you here to pretend that you know what I'm reading?" He was referencing to the times I embarrassed myself to him, when I was trying to get his attention.

"I am serious, Christian. We need to talk."

He sensed the urgency and he followed me as I led him to the shelf in the most corner. I rested my back against the spine of the books while he stood there in his posture folding his arms waiting for what I was gonna say to him.

Then I told him, "I am pregnant, Christian."

Suddenly his whole demeanour changed. Fear was very evident on his eyes. If I was scared then he looked like it was more of a nightmare to him.

"What do you mean you're pregnant?"

"Like when a sperm cell and egg cell unite then it forms another life?"

This was the first scientific explanation that I got correctly.

"Please don't tell me it's mine," I winced at that. He clearly didn't want this. We felt the same way.

"It's yours." Tears prickled from my eyes and he let out the most frustrated sigh I've ever heard. His face turned red and his fingers raked through his hair. He was shaking his head again and again. I sank down and when I reached the floor I was crying too.

Then he made things harder when he said, "Get rid of it. Ana, let's get rid of it."

"Huh? Christian, we have to think about it and—"

"No, let's get rid of it!" It broke me when he was so decided.

"Let's just think first and—"

His face levelled down to mine and his hard expression told me with such conviction, "I don't want to be a father. I never meant to touch you that night. This was never planned. I don't want to ruin both of our lives so if you are being reasonable, get rid of this baby as soon as possible."

Christian immediately walked out and I was immobilized.

I touched my stomach for the first time and I didn't know why I didn't want to get rid of this.

Christian was nowhere to be found. I felt utterly alone.

 **Author's Note: Christian is indeed an asshole but this story will develop all throughout the chapters and no, there will be no cheating. Thanks for reading and what do you think of the first chapter?**

 **Margo.**


	3. Part 1 Chapter 2

**Author's Note down there.**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 2**

Someone once said that sunsets are proof that even some endings are beautiful. Does this mean that it's the end for Christian and me? Is this what the baby meant? I shook my head at that. How can Christian and I end when we never even began?

I know he's not ready for this but so was I. Would it really kill him to talk about this manner in a calm manner? I'm completely lost right now. I really don't know what to do. One moment I want to disappear in a secret place and raise this baby alone and then after a short while I want to rush to the nearest center and have this aborted. If Christian's with me then I think it won't feel like this. Maybe it's better to get lost when you're lost with someone too.

I was sitting on a swing by the park getting a clear view of the yellow orange sunset. I pressed my head against the handle and swung back and forth again and again. I closed my eyes and cursed myself. by the park getting a clear view of the yellow orange sunset. I pressed my head against the handle and swung back and forth again and again. I closed my eyes and cursed myself mentally.

I almost cursed the baby but it didn't grow on its own. It came to life because of my stupidity that night. This baby didn't ruin our lives but I did.

Yet it was still hurtful to remember Christian's words that were filled with spite.

I closed my eyes and with the sun's ray against my face I recalled the time I fell in love.

 _Two years ago . . ._

 _From all the characters Nicholas Sparks created, I felt the most connection to Allie from The Notebook. Everybody expects her to this golden girl because of her family but deep inside she was a little rebel. She loves hard and doesn't think of the consequences just as long as she's with Noah._

" _Are you reading The Notebook, Loser?" One of the senior girls asked. I don't even know why they keep bothering me. I'm just here reading silently in the middle of the cafeteria without having business with them and they show up out of nowhere bugging me._

 _I ignored them._

" _Aren't you supposed to read The Bible? You're like the Virgin Mary in this century. Oh my gosh! You're practically living in a cave and you are reading my favourite book? Such a disgrace!" One of them ranted. Actually there's three of them and it was three times the headache._

" _Can you just leave me alone?" I was annoyed._

" _Give me the book!"_

" _No!"_

" _Give me the book!" She grabbed it from me and spat, "A girl like you shouldn't read The Notebook! This book deserves to be read by pretty girls and you? You're nowhere near pretty."_

 _I stood up and fought, "I didn't know that there's a criteria for reading. Why are you so stupid? Give me my book now!"_

" _Give her the book," a familiar voice came from behind me. I looked back and it was no other than Christian Grey. He stood so beautiful with his collared shirt and glasses. His red lips were evident even meters away and even the senior girls were checking out on it. I felt a sudden jolt of electricity when he stood beside me and calmly ordered the bitches to give me back my book._

 _I used to stare at him from afar and turn wordless when he came by our house for family dinner and now he was saving me._

 _They handed the book over to him and he passed it to me. I hugged The Notebook close to my chest then. One of the girls was irritated that I got it so she grabbed the soda and attempted to splash it to me. I braced myself to dodge the attack but Christian stood in front. His white polo shirt was now colored in brown. He smelled of soda and I was almost too guilty. The three girls were horrified._

 _Christian threatened, "If you don't want to die never ever do this to Ana again."_

 _They nodded in fear before running out of the cafeteria._

 _Then Christian acted as if nothing happened. He sat across me and ate the salad he ordered. I was too shocked. My dreams are coming true. He's here with me and oh my! This almost feels like a date._

" _Aren't you going to eat, Ana?"_

" _Uhm . . . sure." I sat down and ate with him._

" _Too much trouble for that book, huh?"_

" _It's my favourite! The story is very romantic and . . ." Even though the bell rang we never stopped talking about books. That afternoon we spent was the manifestation that he was so much more than the handsome boy I've been staring at since I was a kid. I immediately knew that this was the start of something good._

 _One year and six months ago . . ._

" _I cannot believe we're doing this!" I screamed on top of my lungs. We were officially going sky diving. We were going at it by pair and luckily Christian was my partner. Mia was with her boyfriend, Ethan and Elliott with his girlfriend, Kate. In my mind, I was fantasizing that Christian was my boyfriend and this was one of our romantic escapades._

 _Since the day he stood up for me in the cafeteria we became really close. Of course, Mia and I are still closer but Christian and I found this connection. It was mostly about books and my listening to his dreams and aspirations in life. When I felt down he was always there to cheer me up and when he's reading a textbook I get his attention by trying so hard to speak in scientific language._

 _It makes him laugh._

" _On a count to three, we will jump!"_

" _I am going to die! I am going to die!" I was truly scared of heights. My heart was beating almost too fast._

 _Christian just laughed and said, "One, two, three!"_

" _AAAHHHHH! Lord God save me! AHHHHHH! This is my end! AHHHHHH!" I was falling and dying! Both at once!_

" _Ana?"_

" _Huh?"_

" _We haven't even jumped yet."_

" _Oh . . ." Too embarrassing._

 _Even when we jumped, he never let go of my hand. Miles above the ground, he flew me to greater heights._

 _When he wasn't listening I whispered, "I love you."_

 _One year ago . . ._

" _Ana, what brings you here?" He was sitting by the bench under the tree from across the wide football field. It was one of those books I'll never read in my life. His stature was almost too formal and that's one thing I love about him._

" _Christian, I have to tell you something." This is the moment. Mom always said that the guy should be the first to tell you how he feels but if the world works like that then women would die waiting. I know that this is a giant risk but you never know if you never try. Knowing Christian he would prioritize his academics than love and if he tells me so then I would be willing to wait._

 _In this way I know I am truly waiting for something._

" _What's that?" He said still reading the book._

" _Christian . . . I am . . . I am . . ."_

" _You are?"_

" _I am in love with you." He froze and shut his book. He looked up to me and my hopes became high. Is this it? Is this the moment when he'll wrap me around his arms and swing me back and forth? Is this the moment when I can finally be his girlfriend? Is this the moment when he'll say it back?_

 _I gasped as he grabbed my hand and held it protectively._

" _Ana, I don't know what to say. Uhm . . . thank you so much for feeling that way for me. Thanks for . . . that. I love you, Ana but only like a little sister."_

 _I let go of his hand and it felt like the world just came crashing down._

" _You are my little sister's best friend and that's why I am treating you the same way I treat her. I am sorry if some of my actions caused you to have these expectations. I hope that we are still friends."_

 _My voice was hoarse, "Of course, we are."_

 _It was awkward then. He was looking at me apologetically and I felt pathetic. "I need to go," I exited and walked across the field. I was a girl in a dress crying out loud because she was completely wrong about everything. She thought he did but no, he never felt the same._

Present Day . . .

My thoughts were interrupted when someone sat on the vacant swing next to me. I immediately knew who it was.

"Ana? Why are you here? Tell me if I'm wrong but it feels like you are hiding something." Mia knew me too well.

I opened my eyes to gaze at her and she was instantly worried when she saw me cry.

"What's wrong? Please tell me." She questioned tenderly.

My voice cracked, "Remember the house party last month?"

"Why wouldn't I? I lost my virginity to Ethan that night, remember? What about it?"

"I lost my virginity too."

Mia turned back and was too shocked.

"I am pregnant, Mia. I am pregnant and it's Christian's." I sobbed and she shook her head.

She just stared almost an hour as I came apart. Then she held me as the night turned dark. She's the only person who comforted me and my thoughts were becoming clear.

"Ana? The baby just told me something."

"Huh?"

"She said that you are so strong and you will go through it. My niece says so." I didn't even know that Mia was crying with me.

I gave her a sad smile and shook my head.

"What does that mean, Ana?"

"I am getting rid of this baby."

I have to.

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much for the follows and the reviews. You guys motivate me to unleash the story I got in my mind. There are so many things to happen in this story and I can solely focus on this when Until you Love me Back officially ends.**

 **Thank you!**

 **Please review.**

 **Margo.**


	4. Part 1 Chapter 3

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 3**

"I talked to Christian about this, Ana and he was just standing wordlessly. Did he call you to stop this?" It was evidently clear that Mia was excited to be this baby's aunt but I hate to cut the excitement short. This baby will never ever be born.

Ethan, Mia, and I were walking on the way to the abortion clinic and as usual she was talking me out of this. Her voice seemed hopeful that Christian would convince me to change my mind. Mia and I were making the same mistake by putting Christian in such a high pedestal. I was expecting he'd be kind when I told him about the situation but he was the one who asked for what I'm about to do.

Mia, on the other hand, thought of how noble her brother was. She thought he was the prim and proper boy who would always choose by his morals. Well, the truth was he valued his ambition more. He was willing to disregard morals for the company he dreamed to have in the future. He wasn't the boy Mia thought he was—I thought he was.

"I bet I would be a great uncle, Ana." Ethan said lightly while eating some Skittles.

Mia was pissed off about his appearance. He was wearing a neon shirt with denim shorts and bright green knee socks with flip flops. He claimed that he wanted to be a start of a new trend and all Mia could do was roll her eyes.

She loved him though he wasn't the best male fashion stylist there was.

I bet even though he looked stupid he wouldn't treat Mia this way if she got pregnant. Now I felt an extreme amount of self-pity. In the years Mia and I were best friends, I never compared myself to her. It hurt to know that Christian was the reason why. Tears were forming in my eyes and Ethan stopped on his tracks to wipe away a single drop that fell.

"Ana, why are you crying?"

I didn't say anything. I shook my head and just sobbed like a baby. I was sick of being a wreck for a week now. I felt nothing but a pregnant seventeen year old girl who was unwanted by the guy who got her in this condition.

Mia pulled me in for an embrace and told me, "Ana, you are one of the best girls I've ever met and I know that you are going to be one of the best mothers I know. It will not be easy and it will be more difficult in the years to come but I am telling you this because I don't want you to make decisions you will regret."

I stopped crying and listened to what Mia said. That was the first time I really thought about the future. An image of me holding hands with a little boy who inherited Christian's eyes engulfed my mind. We were playing the park and he gave me a toothless smile when he uncovered my eyes and attempted to surprise me. It was footages of what could be.

Ethan then added, "You will be judged, Ana but we will be here. You will hear a lot of gossips but Mia and I are here to make you feel strong. Christian will too."

The last part of his sentence hurt me.

I didn't say anything though. I just turned my back and entered the abortion clinic. The medical personnel were surprisingly friendly and they acted as though I might change my mind. I was very firm and I kept telling myself that I should go through this.

Ethan and Mia were in the waiting room and I saw how they gripped each other's hands. Despite the weight of the situation I was grateful to have the two of them. They never saw me as the preacher's daughter who got too pregnant early. They just saw me as a friend who needed someone. I was grateful of that.

I changed into this gown and my heartbeat was never loud like this before. The doctor said it's going to be a suction aspiration and he was able to identify that I was four weeks pregnant. I lied down the bed with my fingers shaking and sweat was pouring down my cold skin. My chest was rising and falling and when I closed my eyes those thoughts came back.

Little boy in the park

 _Ana, stop it. You're gonna get rid of it._

Little boy with Christian's eyes

 _Ana, stop. You don't need him._

Little boy with toothless smile

 _Ana, stop. He will be aborted._

Little boy, me and Christian . . . a happy family.

 _Ana, stop this. You are going to be a mother. You can!_

When I opened my eyes the doctor was beside me with a sharp stainless medical tool on his hand. I immediately stood up and ran all the way out of the room. I reached Ethan and Mia in the waiting room and I crashed to their arms and claimed that I will be a mother and I will be fine. Things will be okay.

The two of them? They looked proud of me.

~S.A.~

Morning sickness wasn't treating me well. Because of that, I missed my first class. It's okay though since school was the last thing on my mind. My hand pressed against my still-flat belly and talked to him the first time.

"Hi! This is awkward. Uhm . . . I think you're very small right now and I am not sure if you have ears but I hope that you can hear me. Mom wants you to stop the morning sickness, okay? Chances of graduating high school seems unclear now but I gotta pass this school year. Please coordinate with your mommy."

It feels odd to call myself Mommy but somehow it felt right. I found myself smiling a little.

"Baby? I am sorry for yesterday. Mommy wasn't thinking clearly. You surprised me, you know? I promise to protect you from now on." Whoa. Who's this person talking?

The hallway of the school was empty and I reached my locker. I looked at myself in the small mirror I placed inside. I appeared better than before. It seemed as if hope found me after a few days of misery. As soon as I closed it shut I got startled by Christian's presence.

He seemed very concerned. "Ana, are you okay? Mia told me about the abortion."

I wasn't able to say anything.

He was carrying his books and his glasses were thicker than I remembered. He bit his lip and tenderly said, "It's okay, Ana. We can leave all of these behind. Now that you're not pregnant anymore then we're going to be fine."

What?! "Christian, I thought Mia talked to you."

"Yes, Ana. She talked to me two nights ago and informed me about the abortion. I assumed you've done it yesterday? Things will be fine now. I will go on with my life and go to Harvard while you will stay the young soul you are. That baby's just a problem anyway and what do we do about problems? We solve them. Problem solved, Ana."

I shook my head in disbelief. I felt so disgusted of him. I felt most disgusted of myself for ever wondering that we would be a family.

"Christian, I didn't get rid of the baby."

"WHAT?!" His voice echoed through the hallway. The books fell but I was proud of myself for not flinching. "Please tell me you're joking! Please tell me you're joking!" I hated how desperate he sounded.

"Christian, I love this baby. I will be his mother even though you won't be there as his father. I will raise this baby no matter what. You don't have a say!"

I turned around and exited his disgusting sight.

"ANA! COME HERE! WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" He screamed but I pretended not to hear.

"Let's go, Baby. Let's go." I cradled my stomach protectively.

Even though the vision of us three will never happen, I won't ever regret not going through the abortion.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for patiently waiting for this update. When I am not busy I promise to update.**

 **Please do review.**

 **Thanks!**

 **Margo.**


	5. Part 1 Chapter 4

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 4**

Avoiding Christian has been successful for the past week but this night makes a difference. The Greys are in the house for dinner and as usual my parents are being too giddy. They're always excited when it comes to friends coming over and the Greys are no exception.

I've been trying to tell them about my pregnancy but each time I try the fear takes over. I know that they are going to react violently and I am not prepared for it. Luckily they haven't caught me with the morning sickness. Mom's arranging the food on the table while Dad's preparing the bible verse he's going to share. It's not a usual dinner where we just talk. Carrick Grey prefers to learn scripture passages.

The doorbell rang and I was frozen. Mom said, "Ana! They are here!" She rushed to the door and behold the presence of the Grey family was smelled around the house. As expected, Christian avoided eye contact with me. Grace and Carrick gave me a polite kiss and they sensed my lack of enthusiasm.

"What's wrong, Ana?"

"Oh she's being such a childish brat! She's acting like she's not in a mood for it! Anastasia, you have no choice because family nights should never be ignored." I rolled my eyes at that. Mom had always been tactless. I grew up getting scolded in front of people and 'childish brat' didn't stand a chance of hurting me.

Everybody talked and Mia sat right next to me. "Ana, are you okay?"

"I am okay, Mia. I am."

"You look like you just regret your decision," she kept her voice low enough for them not to hear. She was worried. Suddenly I wrapped my arms around my stomach and I just snapped. Mia deserved to know that Christian had been treating me unfairly.

"Mia, I am not in the mood today because your son of a bitch of a brother is here. He was upset because I didn't have my baby aborted. I'm sorry but your brother is an asshole."

Her face completely shifted from caring to wrathful. She gazed at Christian who was talking to Dad guiltlessly. Her hands formed into fists and she controlled herself. She was shocked but at the same time she wasn't. The main point of her expression was that she's wanting to kill his brother right at the moment.

"Shall we eat?" Carrick joyfully asked and we all sat on the wooden dining chairs.

Throughout the dinner, Dad and Carrick talked about the political events and how leaders should be well-inversed with the Holy Bible. Elliott and Christian were engaged in a talk about the latest scientific discovery while Mia did the unthinkable by being very quiet. I could tell that she's upset and Mia and silence were antonyms.

"Mia, why are you so quiet? Got contaminated by Ana's attitude?" Of course, my mother said that.

My best friend didn't respond.

Grace being the angel she was told my mother, "These are teenage girls, Carla and they're very moody. Let's just leave them be."

Christian then crossed the line, "Mia's very moody because her boyfriend's not around. They've been spending too much time and now she can't function without him."

"Christian," Grace and I hissed both at once.

"Why? It's true. Mia, you dream to be a fashion designer, right? Let me tell you this: the secret to success is to disregard broken hearts. How to disregard broken hearts? Pretend you don't have a heart."

Mia killed him with her stabbing stare.

Elliott told him, "Bro, I think you're taking it way too far. What's going on with you? You haven't been yourself for like what? Two weeks? If something's bothering you then you have to deal with it, Man. Stop bringing our sister into this."

"Bro, I am just telling her the facts of life. Besides, it's not like Ethan's the best guy out there. What kind of normal guy wears knee socks with flip flops in public?" That's when Mia snapped. She may be composed when it came to insults about herself and about me but when it came to Ethan, she unleashes the monster within.

Mia threw the park on the table making all of us flinch. With her poisonous voice, she rebutted, "Ethan may not be the best looking out there and he may not be as smart as you are but he is so much better than you. He is so much better!"

"Mia, stop!" Carrick warned.

Christian laughed humourlessly.

Mia stood up and splashed water to her brother's face. She said, "That is not for me and Ethan but that is for Ana! If Ethan got me pregnant he wouldn't ask me to get rid of the baby! How can you say that he's not a good man? You are not the good man here! You've been treating my best friend and niece like trash!"

The room was silent and I felt myself tensed. This didn't go as planned. I wasn't ready. Because of Mia's impulsiveness, it all changed. I took a glance at Mom and she looked like she's been beaten fresh. Dad stared at me anxiously.

Grace asked with a voice crumbling down, "Ana, are you pregnant with Christian's . . . b-baby?" My eyes roamed around the dining area and they all waited for my answer. I chose not to be mad at Mia since the truth would eventually come out anyway. It's inevitable that my stomach would be bulging in few months' time.

With all the courage in my bones I took a stand with my chin up and confirmed, "Yes, Grace. I am pregnant and Christian is the father."

Silence followed after and Christian's appearance looked like he was splashed on by the coldest water—not because Mia did it a few minutes ago but because the truth he'd been longing to hide got revealed. Grace was already crying while Elliott looked like he really wanted to punch Christian.

The quiet atmosphere changed when my mother screamed, "YOU WHORE!" Before I knew it, I was wailing in pain. She was slapping me again and again then she pulled my hair as tightly as she could. I could definitely feel her rage and I tried to get out of her grip. Dad pulled her but she could not be restrained. She won't stop until she had my hair pulled out. When Carrick helped, she was able to get her violent hands off of me.

I was red because of the pain but no tears spilled. Instead I found myself embracing my stomach worrying if the baby's still safe after the attack. I noticed everyone standing already except Christian.

"You whore! You whore! We raised you better than this! You know your potential and you know that only prostitutes give their virginity before marriage! How can you put us to shame?! How could I have a daughter like you? God punished me by having you, a whore as a daughter!"

"Carla, stop! Stop now!" I've never heard Dad sound so aggressive. In fact, I braced myself for his angry response but it turned out that Mom reacted for the both of them.

"No, Ray! No! She just embarrassed us! Now what?! She will raise a child out of wedlock?! The people in this town respect us. How could our daughter be a whore—"

"SHUT UP!" Christian screamed on top of his lungs and it surprised me as well. It was really loud—loud enough for the neighbors to hear. He's standing before me as well and he was close enough for me to smell his scent.

"Could you please shut your fucking mouth, Carla? Don't ever lay a hand on Ana again! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Mom shook and she nodded full of fright.

Christian grabbed my hand, dragged me, and then took me to his car. He started driving and none of us spoke a single word. It just sank into me that that happened in our house. They know about the situation and my mother lost it. She showed the side of her that no one knew since I was young. I wept silently in Christian's car. He noticed but he never did anything. He just let me cry and I found that perfect.

We stopped in front of their mansion and Christian gripped my wrist upon entering. He led me inside his bathroom and sat me on the toilet. He grabbed a box hidden in one of the drawers and it took me later to realize that it was first-aid kit. He pulled out cotton and put alcohol to it. I winced as he carefully pressed it to my cheek.

I didn't even notice that Mom wounded me with her nails.

"Christian—"

"Shh . . . don't say anything." That's all he said as he took care of my wound and placed band-aid afterwards.

Then I cried before him and he surprised me by wrapping his arms protectively around my body.

Life's real messy right now and it's messier when Christian's giving me mixed signals.

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading. Your reviews tell me you don't like Christian and I don't too. There are a lot of things that are going to happen in this story so stay tuned. Thanks to all the follows, favorites, and reviews.**

 **What do you think of this chapter?**

 **Thank you!**

 **Margo.**


	6. Part 1 Chapter 5

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 5**

72 hours. It had been 72 hours since Christian took me to his room. Surprisingly none of his family ever tried to get inside and talk to me. Christian must have warned them that I needed to be alone. It was a foreign feeling not because the Greys weren't showing up with their caring faces and Mia wasn't bugging Christian to get inside so she could talk to me. The foreign feeling was that Christian's being nice.

I actually count his silent act as being nice to me. It's actually better than having to scream because I am pregnant.

We spent most days just glancing at each from time to time. None of us had the energy to talk. My hands found home on my belly while I thought of the ways to make a living for my baby without having to drop off high school. If I can't go to college then I might as well finish high school.

Christian, on the other hand, studied the entire day apart from getting me food and some clothes to change. I could tell he was doing it as a friend and not because he wanted to be a part of the baby's life. Why could I say so? When I get morning sickness, he didn't even bother to ask if I'm okay or even offer some help.

He was disappointing me day by day yet I couldn't find a way to get rid of my stupid feelings for him.

While he was studying I was watching the television. Dora the Explorer was on and I normally don't watch cartoons so this must be the baby who's controlling my mind. Wait, do babies control minds or just appetite? Last night Christian almost puked because I ate seaweed with peanut butter. This baby's pretty weird. We could definitely get along.

"Where is the mountain?" Dora asked and a blue arrow appeared.

At random, Christian spoke, "She could find it with her eyes and not with her mouth, you know." I stared at him and he was still sitting on his study chair. His upper body twisted to see the TV clearly as he judged Dora on the small screen.

"Well, that's the way she is," I responded.

He replied, "Isn't she too young to explore the world? Her parents let her travel to places with a monkey? That's sick."

"Yeah, well my baby's not gonna be an explorer like her. He is going to be a home buddy." Silence followed as I said those words. There was awkwardness as soon as the baby's existence was mentioned. Christian tensed and he gulped. The two of us gazed at each other unsure of the words to say.

I mentally slapped myself for being amazed by his beauty. There's not a day I won't get my heart racing when I see his beautiful face.

It was me who broke the ice.

"Christian, I'd like to thank you for bringing me here. I know that we're not in good terms but it's really kind of you."

He suddenly turned serious then he shut his book. He sat beside me on the bed making sure there was space set between the two of us.

"Ana, does she always hurt you?"

It was really painful. I rested my chin on my knee and silently thanked God that my wound wasn't permanent. The pain was not on the wound caused by the scratch. It was the affection invested on the doer.

"Well, that was the first time she's done it physically. I mean I grew up with—" my voice cracked "—verbal abuse. Carla always found ways to insult me even when I haven't done anything wrong."

"Do you mind telling me more?" He asked with eyes full of concern.

"Well, she always called me names like lazy or slut or purposeless and she even called me 'burden' once in her speech in the ministry. I understood because sometimes I make mistakes but mostly I don't. When she sees me walking in a crooked line then she'd say I am stupid. When I accidentally don't bring an umbrella then it rains she would say that I am a reckless spoiled little girl. You know the worst thing she's ever done to me?"

"What?" He sounded scared to know.

"She called me a slut and the whole church heard of it. I was thirteen and there was this guy who gave me a rose and that guy had a drug addict for a father. I felt bad for him." There wasn't a tear escaping my eyes as I've grown accustomed to it.

Christian mindlessly reached out his hand to mine and intertwined my fingers with his. I didn't know what he was thinking about but I'm pretty sure he was brought somewhere else as well.

"I understand," he barely whispered but audible enough to hear.

"How?"

"Remember when my father was deeply indulged with drugs before he met Reverend Steele? Well, he wasn't the guy who was right now. It was way more than just hearing insults. It caused this." He let go of my hand only to fold his sleeves and reveal a six inches long scar on his lower caused by a knife.

"I was eight and report cards were released. I failed two or three subjects and he dragged me all the way to the kitchen and slit the knife across my skin. It bled and Mom had to knock him out so she could heal me. Then I made a promise to her. I vowed to be the best student to achieve my dreams so that it won't happen again. We can't risk another scar.

Dad woke up and didn't even remember that he was too high. As soon as he saw my wound then he cried out apologizing. His sorry's weren't enough since it took him years to finally stop doing drugs."

I didn't cry about my childhood but I cried when I heard about his.

When I reached out to embrace him, he quickly stood up.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Ana. It makes me feel weak."

All the while I thought he was too ambitious that's why he always did his best but that was the root of everything.

"Christian . . ."

"I need some air."

When he was out of his room I quickly turned off the television and curled myself up to a ball. I was too shocked to hear about Christian's past. Of course, I knew Carrick was a drug user before but I never thought it had greatly affected Christian too. I hugged my stomach tightly and talked to my son.

"Baby? Listen to Mommy, okay? You will never ever be like your Mommy and Daddy. I promise that you'll grow up safe and sound. We will love you the way you are and shower you with love. Just be patient and I'm sure your Daddy will come around."

It didn't take long for me to realize that Christian was still in the doorway when I spoke to our son. He had that unreadable expression and the staring game lasted too long before he finally walked out.

~ S.A. ~

I awoke later that night to find myself and my baby craving for banana dipped in garlic cream. I swore this baby was too crazy. I stood up and Christian wasn't around. He normally slept on the floor and I'd walk over him to go to the kitchen. Everyone supposed to be asleep but tonight? It wasn't the case.

Voices were heard as I've reached the living room. It was like a conference with the five.

I eavesdropped.

"Mom, what are you saying?"

"I am saying that you should take full responsibility!"

Upon peeking I saw Christian raking his fingers through his messy hair, "Mom, I cannot! I cannot be the father of the baby, alright? She's here not because of the baby but because she's one of my best friends! I cannot be a father!"

"But you already are!"

"I didn't plan to be!"

"You must have thought of that when you had sex with her!"

"For fuck's sake I was drunk!"

Carrick entered the argument, "Christian, don't talk to your mother that way! It's already been settled. We've decided and this is for the best."

Christian desperately shook his head, "No, no, no, no, it couldn't be!"

His father gripped both his shaking shoulders and looked at him clearly in the eye, "Christian, what will the entire town say? Will they still trust the Reverend if they knew about this? Christian, huge things are at stake here. My good friend is at stake! This is the best way to solve it. You have to marry Anastasia!"

The whole world stopped as soon as I heard those words. All the hairs on my skin moved upwards. I covered my mouth to conceal my gasp. W-what? Marry Christian?

"That's bullshit, Dad because the whole town knows that we're just like siblings!"

"Christian, you've been close and people won't mind. Just as long as her stomach still isn't showing then we could still tell everyone you married early because you love each other that much. We're saving you from all this embarrassment."

"Ugh . . . . FUCK!" Christian kicked the vase and all I did was weep.

There's nothing we can do anymore.

We're screwed.

 **A/N: This story explores dark themes such as abuse and I am trying to write about it the best way possible. Thanks for the support and for the responses I am getting. We're not even halfway there. There's more to come.**

 **Please review.**

 **Margo.**


	7. Part 1 Chapter 6

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 6**

A wedding was supposed to be the happiest day of one's life. In my case, it was my doom. I knew that Christian and I were bound for life because of this baby but to have marriage added to that seemed to make it more complicated. Not only did we have solid responsibility to the baby but we also have responsibility with each other.

Guessing on the dress I wore this wedding wasn't planned at all. Mia seemed very disappointed because this was the sort of dress Ethan would pick. It was white, closed neck, long sleeved, and the color looked like it would fade anytime by now. Yes, I was wrapped around so tight by this wedding dress to conceal my stomach that dared to start showing its existence to the world.

"I am so glad that this whore is getting married to that boy otherwise things would've turned out dirtier,"

We were inside the church in a gloomy afternoon and it was just our families inside. People still don't know about this wedding and I knew that they're going to be shocked. Christian was the man of my dreams but to be his dream girl was way beyond people's imagination. I bet gossips would be lurking their way into the shadows.

Aside from the stressful feeling I had because of this, Mom just won't shut up. She kept on ranting horrible stuffs about me. Based on the amount of distance Christian gave, she's not allowed to be standing close to me; that's why she's by the door of the church and I near the aisle.

Mia couldn't take it anymore so she stood up and screamed, "Could you please drag your dirty mouth outside of this church? You're becoming so annoying!"

Mom rolled her eyes and continued fanning herself, "Wait until you become a mother and you have a disappointing daughter like her."

"Well, I'm sorry because I'm not a mother and I'm sorry because even though my daughter is gonna be the same situation as Ana, I'm not going to have a tantrum and call her malicious names! You're sick, Carla! You're really sick! How are you mad at Ana alone? Christian has a huge part on this too. Why no harsh feelings with him?!"

"Because Ana's the girl. She had bigger responsibilities in this. As a woman, you cannot lure a man to sin!"

Mia almost ran to rummage her like a bull but I stopped her. This wedding was unwanted and I wouldn't want it to be scandalous too.

"Let it go, Mia. She's not worth it."

Mia stomped her feet and sat on one of the long wooden chairs. Later, Dad arrived with Carrick and Christian. Well, look at the groom. He looked like he freshly got out of bed and he could use Jack Daniels for a friend. He was just as unenthusiastic as I was.

This wasn't the wedding I dreamed to have. I dreamed to walk down the aisle and my favourite song was in the background. There were five thousand guests and I was crying out of happiness. This was the total opposite as both of us looked like this was a funeral. What did I do to have a groom who didn't even iron his clothes?

I got pregnant, of course. This wasn't my baby's fault anyway. At the end of the day this child's going to have a complete family only that he's going to live in deceit thinking that his father loved his mother back. Despite everything, I knew this child's safe since Christian would never lay a hand on him.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Christian Trevelyan-Grey and Anastasia Rose Steele . . ." My father was blank faced the entire time. How could you live your life doing nothing when your daughter's being verbally harassed by her mother? How could you easily hand over your daughter for marriage just because she got pregnant? I feel betrayed.

"It's time for you to say your vows. Christian?"

He didn't even bother to look at me. He stood frozen like a statue. Grace and Carrick called out his name a few times but it seemed like he was deaf.

"Ana?" Dad asked me instead.

I simply stated, "Christian, I vow to do my best to be your wife. I hope you will do the same with me and our son."

"You may now kiss the bride," Ray announced and Christian robotically cupped both sides of my cheeks and pressed his cold lips against mine. It was a stiff kiss as none of us closed our eyes. He pulled away and no eye contact was made. He was my mirror at this point. We were forced to do what we didn't want to do.

~S.A.~

Just to prove how things were organized well Carrick bought us a house of our own. It's like a cottage which coziness could lure you into sleep. The rain outside smelled like perfume and I could smell faint scent of coffee and lilies.

I was sitting on the sofa caressing my stomach while entertained by the pounding raindrops on the window pane. I was still dressed in my wedding gown but my thumb seemed so eager to rip off the ring from my third finger.

Someone sat beside me and my tears automatically poured down upon knowing it was Dad. He gave me a soft smile and I can sense that he was sorry for me.

"How can you do this, Dad? How can you just give my hand for marriage?"

"It's what your mother wanted, Ana and it's for the best as well. What option do you have? Run away? I am not letting you do that."

I rolled my eyes and asked, "Why, Dad? Why?"

"I am really sorry, my princess. I am so sorry."

"Can you tell me why you always loved mother more than you loved me?"

"That is not true, Ana. Everything I've done I've done it for you." He then revealed what shocked me most, "Carla isn't your mother, Ana."

I stood up immediately feeling goosebumps all over my body. My eyes widened and there were no tears any longer.

"The reason why Carrick and I became close friends is because my father was like him. It was worse, Ana. Your paternal grandfather was a drug dealer and he wasn't happy when I loved Sierra. We fell in love and we had you. She was killed but you weren't so I did my best to run away. We were everywhere, Ana. I was the man with a baby girl in his arms and we were hungry up until I met Carla."

I shook my head. This was all messed up.

"She taught me how to live a different life—to have a second chance. She taught me that a woman can still love me despite my roots. We lived comfortably and morally because of Carla and we owed her that."

With all that's happening, my head started spinning, "S-sierra?" That's the name that came out of my mouth freely. I shouted, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Dad's silence spoke of a thousand words he'd been hiding. He broke at the mention of Sierra's name.

"Ray, what's going on here?" Christian came in and he could sense the tension.

"ANA!" Both men screamed as I lost my balance. If my eyes were still open then all they see was black.

~S.A.~

There were a million thoughts racing in my head. I saw nothing but a ceiling colored in white. I imagined it as paper and I'm writing down all my regrets.

I shouldn't have slept with Christian that night.

I should have run away from home and brought Dad with me.

I should have fought back when Carla would insult me.

I should have run away with this baby.

I should have believed in myself: that I could make it as a single mother.

Then all of the thoughts changed when I felt tender fingers trail along my stomach. I felt him kissed it carefully and said, "Please be okay, baby. Please be okay." It was Christian's voice talking to our baby and somehow I was back to being strong.

 **Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews and no, Christian will not be an abusive husband. The prologue has a deeper reason to it. It will be revealed soon. Sorry for the errors in my chapter, I barely have the time to write so if I have the time then I'll find someone to edit it. Also, this story is going to be longer since a lot of things are yet to happen.**

 **One thing I can spoil?**

 **Ana's going to involve into a very strong woman.**

 **Please review.**

 **Margo.**


	8. Part 1 Chapter 7

**A/N Below**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 7**

As soon as I was rushed to the hospital the whole town instantly knew that I'm pregnant and Christian and I got married. I found it ironic how our families married us to each other to save their faces, but people still whispered how it was a marriage for convenience. Sure, some believed and some didn't.

I was relieved that the baby was fine. I was so stressed and the doctor warned me to stay away from the stressful factors. Apart from Christian's unusual behaviour of kissing my stomach, he also set me in 'isolation' which meant staying away from the Greys and Steeles apart from Mia, of course. I almost thought that he really cared for the baby but that's fictional. He only cared for me like a 'little sister' as he put into words before.

I got discharged from the hospital two weeks ago. My baby's two months now and if I'd really look closely then it started bulging. I never thought of this before but it's actually miraculous how a woman's body could carry another being. It made huge sense that Carla's not my real mother.

If you're a mother, you'd see the greater side of you—the side you never even knew existed and it's all in the form of your child.

"Look who's here. Guys, the hypocrite is here," those senior girls were back at it. I knew they had a thing for Christian but this was way too far.

"Can you back off?" We were in the cafeteria and I was writing something while eating my lunch. Writing was my only outlet and to have them interfere was like having a storm in a summer day.

"You're brave now that you are a Grey, huh?" One of them retorted.

I rolled my eyes and asked, "I don't see the point of any of this. No matter what you do Christian is never gonna be with you since we're already married!"

"You think this is about Christian? Okay, it's partly about him but it's mostly about how hypocrite your parents are! They talk about helping people but when we needed financial support where were they? We were active members in the church and when my brother had cancer they were not there to help!"

I couldn't find the words to rebut.

Christian suddenly appeared out of nowhere and defended, "The sin of a parent is not a sin of a child. You're active in church, right? Why don't you know that? Lash that anger to Reverend Steele and his wife. They're the ones who've done you wrong and not Ana. Now please excuse me because I am going to have lunch with my wife."

The three looked very insulted but still they complied with Christian's orders. He sat across me and I was too shocked because this wasn't like him. I expected him to be pushing me away and pretending that we don't have a baby along the way. Now Christian carried two trays and one was for me.

"Ana, you're eating for two now so please eat a lot. We wouldn't want you to be rushed to the ER again," he was mixing the salad for me and he even put the straw to my drink as if I were a small child. This was really weird! This was absurd!

"Since when did you care, Christian?"

He was looking at me strangely before he took a bite. Instead of answering my question, his attention diverted to the yellow paper I was writing on. "What's that? Are you writing?"

"Yeah, I do it to avoid stress. It's not actually relaxing to hear whispers about you, you know?"

"What are you writing about?"

"Fairytales. Sort of children's stories. Whatever you call them."

Without asking for my permission, he grabbed the paper from the table and read the story loud enough for me to hear.

 _Farfalla_

 _By Anastasia Rose Steele-Grey_

 _Once upon a time there was a little prince. The castle was his world and the garden his own battlefield. He'd get a stick and pretend that it's a sword; he'd find a frog and talk to it when it's bored. It had always been that way since he was eight—since his Dad and Mom always showed up too late. He always wanted to make friends with one, but each time he did she would soar close to the sun._

 _She was the butterfly with gold and almond stripes—wings with silver glitters on the edge so bright! It flew and flew so the prince would jump to catch. He'd cry, "Butterfly, I am lonely. Please go down."_

 _The day came when he hid himself underneath the butterfly's favourite place to linger: the yellow flowers! Just when the butterfly descended the prince alertly caught it between his hands, gripped too tight, and then he laughed, oh he was so proud!_

" _We're friends now, Butterfly!"_

 _There was no reply._

" _Butterfly? Butterfly?"_

 _No reply, no reply._

 _He cried one last time, "Butterfly?"_

 _He slowly opened his palms and gasped at what he saw. Gone was the butterfly he longed to be his friend. Butterfly was now a golden dust he mournfully drizzled down the green grass._

 _The prince sat alone and thought that if he just let the butterfly be then he wouldn't have died. He didn't need to touch it since it always flew by his side._

 _He thought:_

 _You take a look and the beauty glows._

 _You risk a touch and the beauty goes._

 _Just because beauty's lost doesn't mean it stopped to grow._

 _But if you found your butterfly, would you ever let it go?_

Christian's expression was solidly bewildered and he marvelled over and over how beautiful the story was. It may have been short but there was a deep meaning into it. I just gave him a soft smile though. I am not used to people complimenting me. I'm just one of those who exist in this world and not who stand out.

"Ana! You have to share this!"

Before I got the chance to respond the school bell rang and I headed to my class wordlessly.

~S.A.~

The night's not usual itself. Not only do the stars look so much more but Christian wasn't opening a book for a quiz. He was watching T.V. and it's all about the Wildlife. I sat next to him ensuring that we were at least two meters away.

It was awkward at first but he suddenly switched the television off and told me, "Wait, Ana. I have something to show you."

He went upstairs to get something and I was expecting some science experiment or something, but he showed up with an object I never thought he'd carry.

Christian sat down again but this time he was closer to me—closer enough for our skins to touch. My eyes seemed glued to the pink teddy bear he presented. It was a smiling bear colored in carnation pink. It was twice the size of Christian's hands and I was mostly struck by the designed butterflies on her stomach.

"I was passing by a toy store earlier this morning and this just appealed to me. I thought that the baby will love when she comes out."

Now it's a baby? She?

"Christian, what?"

He seemed bashful now. He looked down and asked, "It's stupid, I know."

"Christian, yes, it's stupid but not this. What's stupid is that you keep on switching emotions. One minute you're so nice to the baby and the next you're not. Christian, tell me the truth."

He looked me in the eyes and for the first time I saw him so vulnerable. He was far from the nerdy Christian everybody had a crush on. He was now a boy torned up.

"Tell me," I almost begged.

"When you were rushed to the hospital it was like a lightning bolt shook me alive. Ana, I felt that my knees were shaking and that I almost fell to the ground. It got worse when the doctor said there was a possible miscarriage and I—I—I—" my heart clenched at how shaky both his lips and body were, "—I imagined the baby gone and I saw a part of me gone too."

I shook my head, "Christian, how could you think that? You're the one who asked to get rid of him in the first place!"

He screamed on top of his lungs, "I KNOW! I was scared! I was scared shitless and I wasn't thinking! I wasn't thinking! Ana, I was . . . I was . . ." He wasn't able to finish his sentence because he's crying now. I knew exactly why he's being like this. These were unfamiliar feelings and he didn't know how to deal with them. My heartbeat's rhythm increased.

Was this for real?

His tears answered yes.

I swiftly took the bear from his grip and he paused to look at me deeply.

With such vulnerability he reached out to cautiously touch my stomach and with reverie he whispered, "I found my butterfly and I'll never let you go."

 **A/N: You're probably thinking why I've been updating too much lately. I just had a very bad day and writing uplifts my mood.**

 **Thanks for the responses I got. You guys inspire me to write more and forget about bad days.**

 **By the way, all Ana's stories are the stories I write when I am bored in class. How was it?**

 **What can you say about this chapter?**

 **Margo.**


	9. Part 1 Chapter 8

**A/N posted below.**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 8**

The school year ended with Christian as the valedictorian and I was so surprised that he included us in his speech even though it merely lasted five seconds. He said, "Thank you, Anastasia and thank you also to our baby." I hated myself for crying just because of that. I was clearly in love with him still but it was obvious that we're just friends for the baby.

Of course, I was still sceptical. I didn't let my emotions overpower my judgment. I feared that Christian might change his mind and I'd be back to being sad. It will be very stressful for our son.

Although we didn't have our ultrasound yet, I was confident that he's a boy.

So for the summer Christian slowly earned my trust.

 **JUNE**

I was four months pregnant and I refused to know the sex of the baby. Christian wasn't insisting either. It seemed that he'd be fine whether it be a boy or a girl. It was a sunny day outside and the rays intruded us through the glass walls. We were sitting down the couch and I was showing him the new story I wrote out of boredom and like any other times he would applaud me and claim that I would be famous if I just had the guts to share these.

 _The Crown of Beauty_

 _by Anastasia Rose Steele-Grey_

 _Beyond the green wide meadow where two butterflies lose themselves in a tango and a buffalo keeps watch, lies a kingdom underneath the brightest star. Its main gazer is the beautiful maiden._

 _Her eyes are as brown as the sand she'd step on to face the tranquil oceans. Her skin is as soft as the drizzles passing by. And her lips? Her lips are as red as rubies glowing in the dark. Despite everything she doesn't see it since she only sees her flaw: she doesn't have hair!_

 _Jealousy eats her every time she stares at other girls. Hair with color gold, red, and even a shade of purple! Hair that is long, curly, or even frizzy! And she thinks, "I have none"._

" _Beautiful maiden, why are you sad?" asks one of her friends._

" _I have no hair," she replies._

" _You are still beautiful! The most beautiful of all!"_

" _Lies!" she screams on top of her lungs._

 _Then one day the castle announces: Here ye! Here ye! The prince is in search for thy bride! The beautiful maiden is too excited as she hopes to be the prince's other half. However all the hope melts to the ground when she stares at the mirror. All she sees a bald girl never beautiful._

 _Later that night she makes a wish upon the brightest star, "I wish to have the perfect hair!"_

 _Suddenly there's a glow brighter than she could comprehend. It's too bright that the maiden has to cover her eyes! Behold! The brightest star is now a woman wrapped in light._

" _What do you wish, maiden of the kingdom?"_

" _I wish to have a long beautiful wavy hair!"_

 _The woman nods then warns, "Are you sure? Once I grant your wish there's no turning back. Your hair can't ever be cut!"_

" _I am certain!"_

 _The woman of lights outstretches her arms to release golden dragonflies that form a circle above her head then rest to freeze into golden hair._

 _The maiden twirls with joy claiming she's finally beautiful! She looks up and the woman transformed back to the star she was. The maiden whispers, "Thank you!"_

 _The day finally came and the prince is here to choose his bride. All women from the kingdom are standing in a line where a prince eyes from head to toe, scrutinizing the beauty of his future queen. When it's the maiden's turn she can't almost stop herself from skipping with joy. She's sure she'd be chosen. This is it!_

 _The moment she'll be a princess!_

 _To her dismay, the prince isn't impressed._

 _As the afternoon reaches its peak, the Prince finally decides. The maiden falls to her knees and cries out a sob. The new princess is a girl with no hair—a girl that is bald!_

" _Why her?!" she screams._

 _The prince says, "She's not like everybody else."_

 _The maiden goes home and no matter which sharp object she uses her hair can't be cut. Then she cries out, "I should've loved who I was!"_

"Wow! Ana, this is amazing! I do notice one thing though."

"What's that, Christian?"

"If you are writing fairytales then why are there no happily ever after's?"

"Because this is not Disney"

He raises his brow in confusion then I explain it to him.

"Disney actually makes it very happy. The truth is that fairy tale stories are creepy. For example, Cinderella: her stepsisters cut their heel just for the glass shoe to fit . . ." We spend the entire afternoon with him listening to the stories I know.

I tell him about how Sleeping Beauty was raped then gave birth while asleep. I tell him how the queen never wanted Snow White's heart, but her lungs and liver to eat. I tell him how Mulan killed herself when she returned from war to find her father dead, mother remarried, and the khan asking her to be a mistress. It was so bad she decided to die. I tell him the original versions—the much darker ones!

Who would've thought that the smartest boy will learn something from me?

 **JULY**

"You guys come on! This is Malibu! You have to enjoy the beach!" Apparently the Greys have different summer destinations per year and right now we're in beach in California. The view is like a painting crafted in the renaissance and the laughter gives you an escape from all the negative things about life.

The isolation rule was still intact, that's why Ethan and Mia were the only ones with us. They were running along the beach while the two of us bathe under the sun. Oh, and Christian's reading a Science textbook while I write another story. Yeah, it seemed as if everywhere is a library for the two of us.

"Are you guys human beings? Come on! You're in a beach! Be human beings!" Ethan shouts.

Christian shouts back, "Change the way you dress! Be a human being!"

I laughed at that and Christian gave me a high five. Ethan just frowned continued chasing Mia. He shamelessly wore Borat's swimming attire only it wasn't green but it was pink. Sometimes I wonder how Mia can tolerate this.

Right, Love.

Christian suddenly touched my stomach and I felt my guard up. The baby was moving and he had that odd look. He was torned between confusion and happiness. He asked, "She is okay. I can sense it."

It seemed as if he's fully changed. I should trust him.

But no, he will still change his mind.

I continued writing instead.

 **AUGUST**

Aside from writing children stories another hobby I developed was pottery. Well, I wasn't really good but at least I knew the basics. I bit my lip hard and concentrated on my work. The clay spun around and I was tracing the shape so that it would be firm.

"Whoa! Ana, you're so talented! That's actually great. It would look good on the lawn."

"Yeah, thanks," I sounded uninterested. If Christian was Science then I was art. If he was the fact then I was the opinion. If he were reason then I'd be the emotion. He'd use his brain and I'd use my heart which was probably why I lost my battles all the time.

He slowly watched the way my hands moulded the clay. I was comfortable now since I felt the essence of our friendship once more. He was back to the Christian I knew and loved but somewhere deep inside a voice warned me not to trust him.

My husband surprised me by pulling a chair and placed it behind me. He sat and his hands covered mine. He sang out of tune with a matching chuckle, "Oh my love, my darling, I hunger for your touch a long lonely time!"

I guffawed. "WHAT? Since when did you watch _Ghost_? You hated it!"

He ignored my appeal and continued singing, "And time goes by so slowly and time can do so much. Are you still mine?"

This time the pot's shape was destroyed and I splashed it to his face. All he did was laugh.

I didn't know how but we find ourselves dancing in my art room. With him singing with chuckles in between:

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea, to the open arms of the sea.

Lonely rivers sigh wait for me, wait for me, I'll be coming home wait for me.

~S.A.~

I just wanted things to be official so I changed my mind. I decided to do an ultra sound and Christian agreed. We were in the clinic and Christian was a bit shaky. He seemed to be pacing back and forth on the chair next to where I lied.

"Why are you uneasy, Christian?"

"I-I don't know. I'm nervous? I'm excited? I don't know."

I thoughtlessly grabbed his hand and smiled, "It will be fine." To my surprise, he laced his fingers with mine.

The doctor came out and talked about how she and Grace were so close. She'd talk about babies and Christian would correct her from time to time. He was an encyclopedia when he tackled, "50% of the cells are from the mother and 50% from the baby which meant that you're talking about the placenta. Actually doc, the sperm was the maker of it and it's also responsible for the umbilical cord."

The gynaecologist stayed professional and patient and she was like that until she put some cold gel around my belly and then we saw an image that made it more real than it already was.

We could see his nose, his feet, and oh heavens! The rhythm of his heart!

There were no words but only tears!

"It's a girl! You're going to have a girl!" the doctor announced.

I looked at Christian and he raised all waves of emotions within me when he's eyes were still glued on screen and he whispered, "Sierra. Beautiful Sierra."

He got my trust again.

 **Author's Note: So this was the summer for Ana and Christian. What did you think of it?**

 **Thank you for your favorites, follows, and reviews. They are so much appreciated as it pushes me further to go into writing.**

 **P.S. What did you think of Ana's new story? Another P.S. Unchained Melody was chosen because Ghost is one of the most meaningful movies for me. Last P.S. There is more to come in the story.**

 **Reviews, please?**

 **Thank you!**

 **Margo.**


	10. Part 1 Chapter 9

**Author's note after the chapter**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 9**

Christian planned to go to Harvard University since he and I met. It was jaw-dropping when he decided to go to Seattle University instead. I was really nervous because I might be the reason why he had to sacrifice his dream. He just answered, "I will be here for Sierra. Massachusetts is too far away from Washington. I want to be there for our baby."

I still had those butterflies visiting each time he'd refer to our baby girl as Sierra or "our child". It just proved that despite his insecurities he would become a great father.

Today though Christian was anxious. He was screaming over the phone and it was so loud that I had to cover my tummy. I sensed that Sierra got scared too. His shirt was unbuttoned and books' pages were highlighted. He was really busy as a student and for some reason someone from the phone was giving him more stress.

"Goodbye! Stay out of my life!" He yelled before throwing his phone to the sofa. He pulled his hair violently and automatically froze when he saw me standing by the doorway.

"Ana, do you need something?" He wasn't completely calm but he's better now.

I shook my head and asked, "I just called you because dinner's ready. Who was that?"

The stress came back and both his hands cupped his cheeks. He took a deep breath before answering, "It was Dad, okay? He was becoming a total asshole."

I took a seat right next to where his phone landed then asked, "What was it about?"

"He's not going to support us anymore because I am acting like a total bitch, he says."

I was suddenly worried. The house, the food, and basically everything we needed are provided by Christian's family. As soon as the baby comes out and I will be fit for work then I would be the one to get a job but I was seven months pregnant and I needed to rest. So all of the help would vanish just because of Christian's attitude? I had this rush of anger flowing in my blood. How can he be like this?

I raised my voice, "Christian, what did you do?! You know that we need it!"

"I will get a job, okay? I will get a job!"

"How can you be acting like a total bitch—"

He interrupted me with such furious power, "Ana, he was forcing me to go to Harvard, okay?! He was forcing me to!"

"You could've said no! You could've politely declined!"

"I can't, Ana because it turns out that both your parents and mine want to raise Sierra while the two of us 'focus' on our education! I cannot hand over our daughter to them after all that we've been through in their hands!"

I was instantly transformed to a statue. H-how? Christian sat right next to me in silence.

Imagining Sierra growing up with her grandparents would be like hell and I thanked Christian for saying no. I found myself embracing him.

"We'll figure this out," I told him.

~ S.A. ~

A week later, Christian got a job as a gasoline boy while I sold some of my pottery. It wasn't like before since Carrick gave us bigger amount of money. Well, this was better than nothing and we knew it won't be like this forever. Christian will have his own company and me? Well, I don't know what I will be but I think I will be something in the future too.

When it's just Sierra and I in the house I would talk to her as if she's really here.

"You know what? You're daddy loves you so much. The moment he saw you he named you Sierra. I didn't know that he listened when Ray told me the truth about my real mother. I never knew that your daddy listened."

My hand rubbed my stomach so gently.

I continued, "You know what your daddy's doing now? He's in a gasoline station finding income for the three of us. Yes, he's working while opening a book. That's how much he loves you! Do you love your Daddy?"

She kicked again and again and I knew the answer.

I fell asleep on the couch then after bonding with my daughter then writing another story.

What seemed to be the real fairy tale was the childhood experience so magical. It was as if you transported to another place. You fell asleep on the couch but you woke up in bed. That's what happened and what seemed to make it more amazing was that for the first time since we shared a bed, he wrapped his arms around me and his breath blew minty air on my neck.

For a moment it was the perfect place.

~ S.A. ~

The next night I awoke to an empty bed. I checked the clock on the bedside table and it was just three a.m.

I immediately stood up and searched for Christian. I definitely didn't want him to study this late since this would mean more stress for him.

We wanted to run away from this place. This town's full of hypocrites and for a town this small I was sure that Carrick and Grace already knew that Christian's working while trying to balance it with school. Well, they're the types of parents who won't care as long as they think they're right. They showed no mercy not even to their flesh and blood.

As a mother, it would pain me if I saw Sierra working for her own when I knew that we could help her out. Someday, I thought, when everything worked out and the odds were with us then we'd definitely leave. Just the three of us.

I found Christian in a place I never thought he'd be. I noticed that one of the empty rooms was open and as soon as I entered it, my jaw met the floor. Christian was fast asleep on the floor clearly tired of what he just did. I turned around slowly to savor every detail of his work.

It was a room for a baby and it was so pink that it must have pained Christian to be in here for hours. There's a crib in the middle and there was a closet full of girly outfits. There were fairy tales on the other side and I laughed because Christian made sure it was Disney. There's a huge letter S on the wall and I smiled when I saw some pots I made had their own space too.

Christian was snoring on the floor. I couldn't help myself. I slowly lied right next to him and I brushed off the strands of copper hair to show off his face. I kissed him on the forehead and said, "I love you."

The baby kicked reminding me to rephrase what I said.

"We love you."

 **Author's Note: The dreaded prologue will happen next chapter. Brace yourselves.**

 **Thank you so much for reading.**

 **What did you think of this chapter?**

 **Thank you!**

 **Margo.**


	11. Part 1 Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hey! I'm sorry for the few errors. There is a minor change written here. In the original prologue I've stated that it's six months but yeah, it's seven months now. I'm sorry. Disclaimer: I don't own FSOG and its characters.**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 10**

It's past twelve midnight and he still isn't here. My fingers clutched my wedding ring, the twists implementing my anxiety. Various scenarios crippled my thoughts. Was he involved in an accident? Was college pressuring him too much? Or . . . my fingers shook mightier in fear . . . was he with another girl?

My heart beat faster than usual as I sent probably the five hundredth text message to him. I've been trying to call him and ask where he was but he never answered nor did he send a reply.

"Baby, don't stress too much, okay? We'll pray that Daddy's safe." My hands caressed my seven month bulging belly and my child was moving worriedly. He or she may have not been born but both of us love Christian equally. I've been looking at the window for hours already and I decided to wait longer since I didn't want to bother Grace or Carrick or Mia, my best friend.

When the clock finally signalled that it was three o'clock he slammed the door open and with his wobbly walk and disgusting smell, I instantly knew that he was drunk. My heart ached so much to see him this way. I know that he never wanted to marry but was it ever this bad to make him act this way?

He made it seem like it was hell being with me when all I ever did was hug him.

"Christian, where have you been? I've been worried sick!"

Gone was the composed smart boy I fell in love with. He was replaced by a man with slurry words and alcohol breath.

He pointed at me, "You! You are the reason why I am miserable," he laughed forcefully, "Going home to you is going home in hell, Anastasia! Fuck! I am so screwed in this life."

"Christian, you're drunk. Come on."

"You know what? You disgust me. You disgust me so much! You forced me into this! YOU STOLE MY LIFE FROM ME!" He raised his voice and it was enough to make me cry. I wrapped my arms around my pregnant belly as if I were protecting our baby.

Then Christian's pointing finger descended down to my belly and he broke my heart twice when he said, "You! I've never wanted you. I never intended you. You ruined my life too. You're not just my child. YOU ARE AN ACCIDENT!"

"Christian!" I screamed back for the first time and slapped him. He was lying down like a broken drunken man—passed out as if he was the most wretched man on earth. I imagined him finally talking to our baby or even acknowledging his presence and when it finally happened, the first time he ever talked to our baby . . . he was a cruel man. Far from the man I've been in love with since forever.

That's when I finally realized and accepted. All hopes lost. Christian, my husband, will never love me.

I was completely mortified as I stared at his lying form on the floor. This wasn't him I found asleep in the nursery. He smelled of regrets and disappointment and that wasn't what I wanted him to be. I found myself sinking on the sofa as Christian gradually started snoring.

Convincing myself that he didn't mean what he said was getting harder. I would've believed my wishes if only alcohol wasn't flowing with his blood. Of course, he meant what he said. It made me cry harder. I felt Sierra's pain. Of course, he named her and he acknowledged her belongingness but he never really talked to her. This was the first time and it was traumatizing.

Then I tried to justify using all the memories: when he cried in front of me, when he named her Sierra, our re-enactment of the pottery scene from Ghost, our time in Malibu, and the time I found him asleep after building the nursery. The core to it though was the memory of the night we made Sierra.

 _Seven months ago . . ._

 _How could I ever say yes to Elliott Grey? Of course, this wasn't those typical parties with dinner and parental supervision. To my dismay, this party involved loud teenagers, sexually active couples, and red cups. Elliott was dancing half-naked and I wanted to escape if only there weren't three big men with body odor standing by the door._

 _Apparently we had to smell their armpits before we enter. Yep, Elliott set that up._

 _After all, Mia was nowhere to be found. She was with Ethan, of course._

 _I went upstairs to get some fresh air and I was so shocked to see a couple making out by the hallway. This was like invasion of privacy or something so I opened the nearest door and went inside. I instantly locked it and upon turning around I blushed. It was Christian's room and he was lying down the bed eyes wide open._

" _Christian?" I gave him a soft smile before I sat down. It didn't take long before I realized he smelled like beer—a very huge amount of beer._

" _Not you too, Christian! Come on! We're so much better than being wasted!"_

 _Then what happened next was the answer to all of my fantasies. To be fair, I never thought this day would come. He quickly sat and pressed his lips against mine. It was slow at first but it became almost too intense for me to handle. This was my first kiss and it was as passionate as the covers of romance novels._

 _He pulled away and his piercing illuminating grey eyes reminded me of the moon._

" _I love you. I love you so much." With how truthful his expression was I couldn't deny him what he desired—we desired. I let him caress my breasts lovingly, I moaned when his fingers plunged in and out, I felt loved when he used his tongue down there, and most of all, I came after a long night of him completing me._

 _I was extremely exhausted once we were done and I gave him one small smile before saying, "I love you. I always did."_

 _I woke up the next day to find him gone and feel our friendship turn weak._

Sleepless but emotional I waited until sunrise and it didn't take long when the sunrays woke Christian up. He coughed again and again and slowly knelt down. He looked completely tormented as if living in this house was pure torture. He pulled his hair slowly before asking, "Ana . . . I- I . . . what happened?"

I sounded like a robot when I asked, "Don't you remember?"

He stood up only to kneel again as our faces were of the same level now. We were seeing eye to eye and I was sure that he was feeling the pain I was in.

"Fuck! I was drunk last night and I—I . . . Did I say something?"

My eyes were still red and swollen when I replied, "You just told us the truth. Sierra and I ruined your life."

He looked like I just stabbed him. Guilt instantly took him over and he explained, "I didn't mean it! Ana, please believe me. I didn't mean it. I love our daughter. I love her."

I didn't know what came over me. I hated how pathetic I was but I was too desperate.

My shaking hands held his cold face when I said, "I am in love with you, Christian and I don't know if it will ever stop—" I was crying already, "Can we go back to that night when we made love? Can you tell me that you love me again?"

His eyes widened, "Ana . . ."

I dreaded to know but I needed to ask, "Didn't you mean it?"

It took him a while before he answered by shaking his head.

"B-but . . ." I have shed a hundred litre of tears.

"Let's not talk about it."

"If you don't want me to go insane, please tell me."

He took a deep breath and tears slipped from his eyes too before he spoke the words that completely crashed my world, "Ana, I was thinking of another girl when I slept with you."

"Wh-who?" The tears were faster as he officially cut my heart in two.

"Her name is Cara and I have loved her the moment I saw her. It was the summer before Senior Year. I got drunk that night because he rejected me. He didn't want me to be his boyfriend."

My palm pressed against chest as I felt it tighten.

"Does she have something to do with your drunkenness just now?"

He looked down and slowly nodded. "It turns out she came to Washington for me but it's too late because I'm married."

That's when I stopped crying and I relented taking a hold of his face. I was like a frozen statue staring at nothing. There were countless scenarios going on my head. I never knew he was in love with someone else. When he made love with me he was thinking of that Cara? Was I the one who ruined their fairy tale ending?

There I was, wanting someone who wanted to be with someone else.

Those hopes of being a happy family? They've burned to the ground. How could I ever be this stupid? I recalled all the people who've hurt me: Carla, Dad, those senior girls, Carrick and Grace Grey, and now . . . Christian and a faceless Cara. My hand found its way to my stomach ensuring me that I wasn't alone.

"Ana? Ana?"

"Huh?"

"You've been silent for two hours." Christian awkwardly added, "Let's eat?"

This time I looked at him like really looked at him.

This man named Christian Grey. Well, he lost me.

 **A/N: We're nearly done with part 1 of the story. There are actually three parts. Christian will narrate the 2** **nd** **part.**

 **What did you think of this chapter?**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Margo.**


	12. Part 1 Chapter 11

**A/N Below**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 11**

I've been giving Christian the silent treatment since I was still too shocked about the revelation of a girl named Cara. I envisioned her as someone so evil that she laughed while others were suffering. I imagined a kingdom where fishes were poisoned and they were floating by the shore obviously lifeless. While Cara? She's laughing on top of her lungs. I couldn't sleep just because of thinking about her.

Christian and I were eating our breakfast and he was talking about school and other things that make him himself. After all, he was made up of oblivion, ambition, denial, and regrets. I dreaded how my perspective about him changed.

He started talking, "Look at these business who are college dropouts. We're talking about Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and many more. What if I drop off college and start my own business?"

After taking a bite of the pancake coated in strawberry syrup I practically replied, "That would be a very big mistake. Sure, they're college dropouts and they turned into successful businessmen but do you have the same fate as theirs? Do you have the same element of luck? Or do you even have the skills?"

I was surprised by my venomous voice as well. Christian looked like he didn't know me. He decided to be patient though. He gave me a fake smile before standing up, "I still have to work. See you later, Ana. See you later, Sierra." He almost touched my stomach and I jerked away from him inhaling and exhaling time and time again.

He was hurt by my sudden actuation. There's no way I'd let his filthy hands hurt my baby again. How could he touch my stomach after pointing to it as an accident?

"Take care, Ana. I'll come home at 7." With those words, he slammed the door closed and I was back to my fairy tale world. I was in the position where I didn't know who to trust anymore. Maybe that's why the paper was my way of expressing my emotions. I found a piece of paper and a pen with faded blue ink.

I wrote the oceanic feature in my mind.

 _The Fisherman and the Mermaid_

 _by Anastasia Rose Steele-Grey_

 _Once upon a time in the heart of the sea there was a mermaid who fell in love with the fisherman from afar. Her name was Coral like the reefs where her mom gave birth a few years back. It has been rumoured that the reason why her tail can't glow like any other mermaids' was because her mother died out of childbirth. Still, Coral decided to face life with a happy smile every day._

 _One summer day, Coral was swimming with her seahorse friends when she saw the fisherman for the first time. She was too shy to approach him but her seahorse friends encouraged her to do so. They pushed her to swim further but she had no guts._

 _Then the day came when the storm almost killed the fisherman. Amidst the enormous waves and torturous lightning painted in the sky she swam to save the drowning man. When the sun turned clear she brought him to the shore right next to the beautiful shells. He slowly opened his eyes and whispered, "Who are you?"_

" _I saved you, oh fair man!"_

 _He sat on the sand and his eyes widened as he saw her shining bronze tail, "You're a mermaid?"_

 _She nodded, "My name is Coral and you are?"_

" _I am Hansen. Can you meet me tonight on this same spot?"_

 _Coral thought that this was the beginning of their romance, "Yes!"_

" _I will see you later and thank you so much for saving me!"_

 _The time came when the moon showed up to replace the sun. Coral came to the place with hair designed by her sea urchin friends. She was really beautiful, her head looking at all directions just to find out where he was or if he's coming._

 _There he was! Hansen rushed to her and her smile faded as her trapped her in a net. She cried out because of the betrayal but mostly because she gave him her trust. He carried her to the village. She was begging him to bring her back to the sea but Hansen pretended that he was deaf._

 _He knocked on the old wooden door and there revealed a fat woman with bucktooth. Her mole was bigger than her eyes and she was the town's witch named Cara! Hansen thought differently since he was so in love with her._

" _Cara, my love, I brought you a present!"_

 _Coral cried as they entered the room full of potions. Evil Cara was too happy to have her as a guest. Hansen placed Coral on the long table and there Coral realized how wrong she was to fall in love with a man she knew nothing about. He turned out to be a big disappointment._

 _Cara grabbed a dagger and pointed it to Coral's chest and screamed, "By the power infested in me, I shall have your power and beauty!"_

 _Before the dagger got to pierce through her heart, Coral found her inner strength. For the first time in her years of existence, she glowed like the brightest light and it burned the whole place. It was so bright that Cara and Hansen burned to ashes and one potion cracked and fell on her tail._

 _It magically turned into legs!_

 _Cara ran to the oceans and said goodbye to her old life._

 _She lived on earth for as long as she could. She was strong and everybody loved her. The most important was she loved herself._

 _She lived happily ever after._

 _On her own_

My hands got tired of writing and Sierra got hungry. The fridge was empty and I didn't want to disturb Christian. He's probably out with Cara right now. I didn't want to interrupt their precious time together.

I changed into one of my maternity dresses and went to the mall to roam around and eat some cheap ice cream. I sat down one of the benches, on the vacant space next to a beautiful woman with ebony black hair, red lipstick, and thick brows. Even though she's sitting she was obviously tall. Her white jumpsuit showed off her sophistication. She was intimidating but I was a pregnant woman who needed to sit down.

She offered me a soft smile and I gave her one fake one. No one could brighten up my life right now except Sierra.

"Wow! Look who's here! The pregnant hypocrite is here!" How could the senior girls follow me here?

I continued licking my ice cream. To my surprise the supermodel beside me got upset.

"How could you attack a pregnant woman? She may be young but I don't think she deserves to be treated with disrespect. She's also married base on her wedding ring so why such disrespect?"

"And who are you?"

Supermodel stood up and looked down at the three senior girls. "I am not going to tell you my name because it's too clean to be known by you, dirty people. But I'd like you to know that I am currently a broadcast-journalism student in the University of Washington and I finished as valedictorian in high school. I came from Idaho where I participated in programs such as building homes for calamity victims, protecting children against sexual abuse, and I've spent one whole summer serving children who have cancer. Apart from that I've also written articles to improve world peace and stop war.

What do you say?"

I had the same facial expression with the three other girls. I felt my ice cream melt because of the fire burning within this woman. She was young but she had done a lot.

One of the senior girls still shamelessly replied, "Despite everything you've achieved, Anastasia is still a pregnant hypocrite."

I can sense Supermodel's hatred. She whispered to my ear, "Anastasia, right? Will you excuse me? These girls deserve a lesson." She took the ice cream from my hands and plunged it to their faces one by one.

"Don't ever do this again!"

The three girls exited very humiliated by what Supermodel did.

When she sat down I gave her a sincere smile this time. "Thanks for that."

"You don't deserve to be treated like that. If they ever treat you like that again please make it stop. No woman deserves to be disrespected." She was an empowered woman, for sure.

"I am Anastasia Steele and you are?" I didn't want to include Grey anymore.

"I am Cara Dawes."

As soon as she spoke her name, my already crashed world crashed further. She came from another state and she's studying in the same school as Christian's.

This was the Cara.

Without saying any word I walked out of her sight. I didn't care but I was mindlessly walking under the rain. The raindrops were piercing through my skin but I was out of my mind. The only thing bothering me was that Cara was so far from the villainous character I created.

In fact, she was the opposite.

She was this strong woman who with every single angle had beauty in her.

It hurt. It really hurt. I felt my ego trampled to the ground.

Then everything went dizzy and the baby kicked so hard. Sierra, stop! You're hurting Momma! Sierra! The surroundings were moving and the thunder was roaring louder. I heard faint shrieks and screams when people saw me fell to the ground.

Under the rain with all the people around me my eyes shut and I wished for them to never open once more.

 **Author's Note: Next chapter will be the last chapter for part 1. Although Christian will narrate part 2 we will still have a little bit of Ana's POV per chapter just to keep track of her.**

 **Thanks for reading and for your responses.**

 **What can you say about this chapter?**

 **Thanks!**

 **Margo.**


	13. Part 1 Chapter 12

**Author's Note posted below the chapter.**

 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 12**

Nothing ever prepared me for what happened next.

I was in the hospital with my stomach hurting. Luckily there was a concerned citizen who called 911. I remembered how I was rushed to the ER again. Everything was a chaotic blur as nurses discuss scientifically on what to do about me. I, on the other hand, begged repetitively "save my baby".

There were no words to describe the pain. It seemed as if my stomach was being cut open and the worst was that my heart was in anguish. Based on Sierra's movements, I could sense that she was freaking out. My poor baby was in agony because of me, but mostly because of her father and his idiosyncrasies. I was in a huge amount of pain and I put my trust in these medically trained people.

We were inside the room, I lying in the middle. The lights were shining down on me. I prayed to God that the baby would be safe no matter what even if it took my life.

To my horror, Christian emerged from the door fully distressed. The hospital must have phoned him. I was shaking. He didn't deserve to be here. I didn't need him here! If I had the strength I would have thrown everything at him and kicked him out of the hospital. Like always, I found myself on the luckless side as I couldn't even move.

"Doc, please tell me she will be okay. Please tell me that the baby will be okay!" I could sense Christian's woe. I took all of my strength to stare at him and he looked like a complete mess. He was still in his gasoline uniform and he was soaking wet from the rain. Well, wasn't this a way to improve his acting?

"Sir, your wife has been here for hours and she is in labor. If we don't take the baby out as soon as possible then she would not survive. We need to perform an emergency C-Section."

Christian mirrored my horrified expression. "What?! No! No! No! It's too early!"

"Sir, trust us. The baby will be saved as long as we do this. Stay calm and trust us."

I wanted to say a lot of things to the doctors but I couldn't find the strength. They rushed me to another room and the mortified Christian followed. This was the worst of him that I've seen in all of our lives. _Don't be fooled, Ana! He's been a great actor lately! He'll hate Sierra once she's born. After all, she's an accident._

There were voices in my head and got louder when my heartless husband took a hold of my hand. There was a huge amount of pain and I didn't know what the doctor did. After that the feeling became nothing. It was numb and I based everything on Christian's expression. For a moment I had no choice but to believe. He seemed tensed and his sweat mixed with the rain. I glanced back at the doctor and nurses who were too focused.

While they were dealing with the process I looked up to the ceiling and had a solemn moment with God. After everything I've been through with my parents, I ceased to believe in him. However he's the only one I can count on now.

As long as Sierra survives then I promise to be at my strongest. So help me, God.

After long torturous minutes a piercing cry surrounded the four pale corners. She was alive! My baby was alive! My tears streamed down as pain enveloped me over and over again. She was too small and if you listened clearly her cry was weak. She was placed on my chest and all my fears rose when Christian's palm covered her back.

I looked up at him and he was crying too. It was a mixture of guilt and sadness and even a little hint of joy. Those were the expressions actors possess.

I wanted to scream! I wanted to yell! I wanted to hurt the hell out of him! I was too tired from all that happened so I fell asleep.

~S.A.~

The room was new as I woke up and upon checking Mia and Ethan were by my side together with the doctor who shared a weird smile.

"Where's my baby? Where is Sierra?" I asked anxiously.

"Mrs. Grey—"

"Miss Steele, my name is Miss Steele." My voice sounded like it came from a stranger's. It wasn't like me to be this rude. Mia and Ethan didn't seem surprised though.

The doctor cleared his throat, "Miss Steele, I am happy to inform you that Sierra is alive. However, she's born two months early so her lungs haven't developed fully. She needs breathing and feeding assistance. She's put in NICU right now which means Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. You don't have to worry because we've had so many children who've survived and to tell you frankly, your daughter is a fighter."

That didn't change the fact that I was worried.

"Doc, I want to see her."

It didn't take long before they placed me on a wheelchair. There was a nurse and he was the one who pushed it for me. The doctor discussed about Sierra's condition while Mia and Ethan acted my supports.

They brought me to this room where there was isolated glass tubes fit for babies. My hands pressed against my throbbing heart as soon as I saw my daughter. She was too small. Born at 29 weeks at only two pounds, Christian's teddy bear with butterfly belly was a little bigger than her. There were wires placed to her small torso and I let out a cry when I saw that a machine was helping her breathe.

"How long will she stay this way?" My voice shook.

The doctor replied, "Sometimes it takes up to three months. It depends on the baby's development, really. Miss Steele, I know this is hard but stay strong, okay? The baby is a fighter so the mom should be."

There was a weight in his words.

I stood up slowly and ambled my way to her incubator. I asked the question I feared most, "How does she get fed?"

"Gavage feeding, Miss Steele," the doctor explained how a tube would reach all the way to her stomach and I found my hands balled into fists. My baby didn't deserve to suffer this early.

There was a hole on the right side of the incubator where I could insert my hand. As soon as I did she wrapped her small hands around my finger and the world just made sense. I finally found someone who would love me unconditionally. I looked at her bird's eye view and got confused when I saw droplets of water.

"What are these?"

Ethan answered, "Ana, Christian was here the entire day. He was crying out loud and Ana, he was really pitiful. He really loves Sierra."

I raised my voice and through my teeth I asked, "YOU LET THAT MONSTER GET NEAR MY BABY?!" At the exact moment as if it was rehearsed, Christian entered the door and he was still wearing the same attire only that it was dry.

"You! Get out!"

"Ana, I am really sorry—"

"Get out!"

"Ana, please—"

"GET OUT! All of you! Get out!"

Shaken, they all went out and the doctor said, "We'll give you some time, Miss Steele. Come on, Mr. Grey. Let's give her time." I didn't care if Christian was in pain or if he was crying. All I cared about was that I was wise enough to know that he was a one huge liar.

As soon as they left I placed both of my hands on the glass almost as if I was protecting Sierra from everything.

This was the moment that changed my life forever.

My back straightened and I lifted my chin. I raised by brows and wiped away my traitor tears. All the faces the hurt me flashed before my mind and I made a strong vow that this would be the last time they would lay a finger on me. Carla, Dad, Grace, Carrick, those senior girls, and even Cara!

With my daughter as a witness I swore, "You will never ever touch me again! I will never ever get stepped on! From now on, this girl you used to bully would learn to stand up for herself. She would love herself no matter what you did! She will be the best woman you'd ever meet. You may not love her but you will definitely fear her! You shall never touch her daughter because if you do, she will tear you limb by limb.

She is Anastasia Rose Steele and she will rise and rise no matter how you drag her down. I am Anastasia Rose Steele and you're gonna regret everything you did!"

I changed and nothing could change that.

For Sierra and for myself

 **Author's Note: I did research for this chapter and thank you for the responses I've gotten. There's a huge amount of numbers for the reviews and it's very overwhelming.**

 **Next chapter would be Christian's POV.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Reviews, please?**

 **Margo.**


	14. Part 2 Chapter 1

**Bold Letters – Christian's POV**

 **Italic Letters – Ana's POV**

 **Normal Fonts – Ana's Stories**

 **Author's Note Below.**

 **Part 2**

" **Is there a chance, a fragment of light at the end of a tunnel, a reason to fight?**

 **Is there are chance you may change your mind?**

 **Or are we ashes and wine?"**

 **Alison Sudol, Ashes and Wine**

 **Chapter 1**

In the Heart of the Ocean

by Anastasia Steele

A hundred years ago in an island during the earliest civilization lived a tribe who worshipped the moon. Each night they'd dance for it faithfully waiting for a miracle to occur. The day came when the moon granted their wish. She blessed the people with a stone placed on top of the highest mountain. It was coated in silver and like its giver, it could control the tides.

The moonstone, as they called it, had supernatural powers. It could ensure safety for voyages, provide abundance of food supplies, and most of all, it could heal the sick. However, the tribe leader abused its power claiming it to be for his selfish benefit. The moon got angry so the moonstone vanished one day and it had been said that it fell on the heart of the ocean.

In the present, there was a king who heard of the story. He was brave and kind and feared by many. Despite what he was, the king still didn't know what to do for his daughter was about to perish due to frail health. She vomited blood and breathing became a struggle. She was already bidding her goodbyes but the king shook his head no claiming he would save her no matter what.

One night he prayed to the moon and it responded by showing its light to the part of the sea where the moonstone was buried. He formed a treaty with the moon—a treaty he didn't hesitate to agree on.

The king went to that spot to get the moonstone and he found it buried deep beneath the seabed. Once he held it in his hands he felt as if he had the world! Not because it contained powers but because it could save his daughter.

He gave the moonstone to his daughter the following day and once both her palms held it she was instantly cured. She looked up to her father and smiled. "Dad, I am okay now! I am healed!" The beautiful smile she had gradually faded when she noticed blood spluttering out of her father's mouth.

The king vomited floods of rubies until his lungs failed to function.

The treaty was his daughter's healing in exchange of his life. The moon proved that any man would do anything for child.

~S.A.~

 **I've always thought that logic defied all aspects in life. I hated how people use their hearts to express how they love someone when it should be the hypothalamus. It's a section of the brain with the primary role of producing many of the body's essential hormones. It included the attraction towards someone and falling helplessly in love.**

 **I also hated how people said that the heart is never right since it's located on the left side of our chest. In fact, it's located in the middle—between the lungs, over the diaphragm, and behind the sternum.**

 **People thought of the heart for all the wrong reasons and they've used it that way too.**

 **I never thought that I was one of them until the day my butterfly came too early.**

 **I've always been a guy whose emotions were behind the bars. I've locked myself in a prison where no one could take advantage of my feelings. It was always the brain above the heart since it was the lifelong lesson I've learned from my mother. I was too young when I realized that love was a distraction and all it did was ruin the future.**

 **Books became my best friends. I almost heard them talk each time they lied open on my lap as I sink in the new knowledge I acquired. Life was a house and I had one huge staircase to lead me the path step by step. I moved up and up and up until it came crashing down on me. There were too many obstacles and I never once thought that the obstacle would be my greatest happiness.**

 **The dream was simple: Be a CEO and never be like Carrick and Grace.**

 **When Ana told me about the baby, it seemed as if this house which I compared to my life encountered the highest magnitude of earthquake and it came tumbling down. It was the domino effect when all things failed step by step—a continuous cycle of mistakes brought about by the situation.**

 **I dictated her to abort the baby since it was the only option I saw. I couldn't be a father! I couldn't be like Carrick! How could I live with myself knowing that there would be a child who would have the same childhood as I did? When Ana told me about the baby, the first image I got in my mind was about me slicing the knife through his skin because he wasn't good enough to excel in life.**

 **Of course, my mind was too clouded to remember that Midas touched Ana's heart since the day I met her. She had always been the better one. She wouldn't get rid of the baby.**

 **We were forced to get married and if we could just sustain ourselves then we would've left town and went on separate lives. Maybe that would happen someday but that wasn't the case for us. We were two teenagers who had ambition fully depending on our parents.**

 **In all those months when Ana was with the child I kept thinking of the worst things I could do to a child.**

 **Anthropology stated genetic factors and cyclical events from generation to generation. In Anthropology I was taught that once roots were evil then the fruit would be the same. Carrick's violent blood flowed through my veins and no matter what I did he was a huge part of me. Yes, he was high when he committed those "mistakes" but there were moments when he was completely sober but still do the same.**

 **When I was nine I remembered seeing Dad so clean and he didn't smell funny anymore. It was the first time Mom was sincerely happy. That was the first time we went to church with him. It was always Mom with us. To have Dad was like having a cherry on the tip of the icing. The experience though? It was hell! Dad saw how Elliott befriended a kid who showed signs of being gay and it was safe to say that Elliott had the same mark as I did.**

 **Since then, Elliott avoided that little boy.**

 **Each time I'd look at the mirror I'd see my father and there was a time I punched it to form spider web cracks and painted it with my own blood. I was his and it bothered me. It was by default and that created an impasse.**

 **I was firm about not being a father to the baby.**

 **Everything changed when Ana was rushed to the emergency room. I've read all Science books and all the theories they've encompassed but nothing came across to the feelings I've had when I imagined the baby gone. I thought I would be happy and jumping around now that she was gone but I found myself half-dead, as if a part of me would always lack one beating of a heart each day.**

 **Then the prison I've locked myself into vanished little by little. It was because of the baby and how managed to change a huge part of me.**

 **A huge part of it was that I married a storyteller.**

 **Anastasia Rose Steele was the daughter of the holiest family in town and I never thought we'd be really close friends. I always thought she was prude and that she had posters of Mother Theresa on the wall instead of those annoying boy bands.**

 **It surprised me knowing that Anastasia was like everybody else but unlike any other. She was a teenager who lived normally but smarter that the rest. She was the perfect paradox and she was the perfect friend for me. We were too close—too close that she fell in love and I had to reject her. I thought that I owed her my honesty if I cannot return those feelings.**

 **We would laugh about everything and I'd love how we clicked since I was into Science and she was into Art. I was the mind and she was the heart and it equalled to a great friendship. Well, I never thought it would equal to an unplanned baby.**

 **There was a deeper reason why there was a connection with the two of us. We were living in dollhouses when everyone thought it was the picture perfect world, but we were suffering. She told me about Carla's abusive ways and how she wrote stories to forget the pain. The stories never had a happy ending as she was a traditionalist.**

 **Ana, I thought, was an epic waiting to be seen by the whole world. I saw it; the whole world will see it, and Ana? She doesn't see it.**

 **I believed in her. She's my best friend until I became so stupid and kicked her emotions and ego down to the ground. I did it over and over again and there was a tug of pain inside me. Tears prickled from my eyes as I remembered how this was all my fault. I've hurt her too much and she didn't deserve it. She never deserved all the hurt and I hated how I realized that just now.**

 **I've let my personal issues take control of everything.**

 **Now my baby was suffering because of my mistakes. She was isolated inside the transparent glass incubator and wires were connected to her body. She was so tiny at only two pounds and it was my entire fault that she had to be the brave one even in her first days on earth. It didn't have to be this way. She was supposed to be sleeping soundly in the nursery along with the other babies. We were supposed to look at her from the window and not watch her anxiously from time to time praying that she won't give up fighting.**

 **I had no one to blame but myself.**

 **The tears were forming shapes of transparent polka dots on the roof of the small box she was being held in. She was moving slowly and there was a little cooing.**

" **Sierra, Daddy is sorry. Daddy is really sorry." I inserted my hand to the hole at the side and held her hand tenderly.**

" **I am sorry for calling you an accident. I was . . . I wasn't myself that time and Sierra, you're never planned but you're never an accident, please believe me. Please forgive me. I love you, my little butterfly. Daddy loves you so much and if I could turn back time I would avoid it to be this way. I'm sorry you had to fight. I'm sorry you had to suffer. I am really sorry. I would like to take the pain you're in, Sierra. I would love to.**

 **Daddy's never perfect but he will try his best. I will show you my love and I will never stop working hard for you. You're never going to have the childhood your mother and I had. You're going to grow up knowing what love is."**

 **That's when I made a promise, "I promise to make it up to you and Mommy for the rest of my life. Can you hear me, Baby? Do you understand?" I sounded too desperate.**

 **My cries went deeper when she wrapped her small fragile hands around my finger. It was a proof that she heard me after all.**

 **Forget the hypothalamus and the correct location of the heart. I love this little girl and she ambled her way into my heart no matter how many times I've built walls.**

 **I used to think logic defies all aspects of life but it all changed because of her. Sierra defied all logic.**

 **Author's Note: I focused the first chapter on Christian's POV about his daughter and don't worry because there will be more of Ana and an explanation about Cara.**

 **My goodness! You guys respond beautifully and it gets me on high alert. You make me feel so driven in writing this story.**

 **What did you think of Christian's POV?**

 **Reviews?**

 **Thank you! Thank you!**

 **Margo.**


	15. Part 2 Chapter 2

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 2**

 **There was a permanent sunset in the glow of Ana's eyes. It was as if there was something coming to a sudden halt and I didn't want to know what that was. We were staring at our daughter side by side and even though she wasn't screaming, I could still sense that she didn't want me around.**

 **To be honest, I could bear her screams more than her cold stone silence. She was giving me a slow torturous frost bite with the weight of her stare.**

 **Diverting my attention, I simply focused on Sierra instead. She had been here for two days and I've gone home only to change. For the first time since I was eight, I didn't make a big deal out of my classes. My daughter needed me, she was silently screaming for me. She got me wrapped around her finger. I realized a father was more than just a name and a role; it's a calling.**

 **As if Anastasia's stare wasn't bad enough, her parents and mine bursted through the doors and I braced myself for another TV drama between Carla's childishness and Ana's taking of the insults.**

" **Oh my goodness! Look at our granddaughter. Poor little girl! Ana, Christian, are you okay?" Grace was the usual caring mother as she doted on Sierra who was sleeping soundly after the feeding. I was there when Ana pumped milk from her breast and I didn't know why but I admired her for the miracle she was.**

 **Ana's whole demeanour didn't change. She remained to be the ice queen.**

" **Why didn't you call us? We would have helped you!" Reverend Steele sounded sincere but I didn't let it fool me.**

 **I responded, "If you are willing to help us then you would've done so. I have no doubts that you know how Carrick cut off financial support. Why didn't you help?"**

 **The outburst that I expected never arrived. I anticipated Carrick to start a fight with me. I knew he heard me but he was lost with the sight of my little butterfly. He inserted his hand through the hole and touched Sierra's sensitive skin. In a brief moment, Ana and I glanced at each other completely feeling despise of how an evil being could touch an angelic soul.**

 **I almost pulled him away from her when he looked up at me with tears forming in his eyes. "I am really sorry, Christian. I am really sorry."**

" **As if sorry would fix anything, Carrick." Sorry would never change the fact how I worked in a gasoline station just to provide food in the table and sorry would never change how Ana sold her pots instead of resting.**

 **Grace chastised, "Christian, how can you refer to your Dad in first name basis?"**

 **What started the fire were Carla's words.**

" **This is the reason why you deserved no financial support. Look at the two of you! Two spoiled brats who are very ungrateful!" Damn! This woman was worse than those villains from the dumb soap operas Mia watched frequently.**

 **The shocking event was Ana's husky voice filled with anger.**

" **If you don't have any good to say then I suggest you leave. We don't need your filthy mouth here. In fact, I need none of you!" Ana stood strong and I too was very shocked. She wasn't like this. My wife got her back straightened and her stance reminded me of the lioness ready to protect her cub in one of those National Geographic featurettes.**

" **Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are?" Carla was so affected. It was clear that she was defeated and I couldn't stop myself from crying.**

 **Ana smirked sarcastically, "I am proud of not being your daughter."**

 **Carla's face dramatically turned and red as she yelled, "WHY YOU WHORE! I refuse to let a sinner do this to me." She raised her hands to slap Ana and I readied to jump between the two of them but Ana steadily held her wrist. My parents and Reverend Steele were too shocked to respond.**

 **Ana's eyes lit in anger when she spoke word for word emphasizing every syllable, "I refuse to let a sinner call me a whore!" With that, she slapped Carla on the right. "That is for me—"she slapped on the left "—and that is for my daughter. Now if you want to stay alive please leave this hospital right now."**

 **That's when Reverend Steele tried to intervene but Ana screamed on top of her lungs, "RIGHT NOW!"**

 **The four of them left and I was smiling to myself. Ana was so different. There was power in her. She was glowing in fire like the phoenix in those legendary tales. Her hands were balled into a fist and I could see thick smoke coming from her nostrils.**

 **She flickered her eyes on mine and icily said, "Didn't you hear what I said? I said I needed none of you."**

 **That included me and in that moment it felt as if I was slapped twice or more.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **I was back in Ana's room. There was still a problem with her blood pressure that's why her days of admission were extended.**

 **White walls surrounded us and the faint sound of the television was what kept us alive. It was in a music channel where a random popstar was singing a bunch of profanities. I was sitting on the bed just inches away from Ana who was pacing back and forth uncontrollably. She was really pale and there were grey shades under her eyes but I've never saw her this . . . alive.**

 **After a few minutes of silence Ana grabbed the remote control and switched the television off. Then she saw me eye to eye and I instantly met a gaze I never imagined would come from her. Perhaps this was my confirmation that she wasn't going to be the same as before. She was a new woman. She was ready to stand on her own and show to the world the ferocity she held within.**

 **For that I was proud of her.**

 **Then she spoke the words that changed everything, "I want a divorce, Christian."**

 **I was immobilized like a statue. There was a sudden ache in my heart. I knew this marriage wasn't our choice and I've treated her like shit but this hurt like hell. I found myself shaking my head over and over again.**

" **No, Ana, No."**

 **She got angry when she responded, "Shouldn't you be happy? You can be with Cara and Sierra and I will be out of your life. You wouldn't be reminded of the accident we created that deceitful night."**

" **SIERRA IS NOT ACCIDENT!"**

 **She laughed bitterly, "Wow! Where did you think I got those words then?"**

 **I winced at the thought of that night. Tears poured heavily from my eyes. I wanted to stab myself each time I remembered my cruel behaviour.**

" **Ana, I am really sorry about that night. I know sorry can't fix anything but it's all I can give. I love Sierra and I cannot leave her. Ana, please don't do this. I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you and Sierra even if it takes the rest of my days." I took her hands with mine but she was still emotionless.**

" **I know that you love her, Christian. I know that you love my daughter and I also know that you don't love me so that's why I'm asking for a divorce."**

 **For some reason, I couldn't find a way to agree or disagree with her. Instead, I just held her hand tighter. It was as if she was about to leave the door and never come back. I never expected how much fear it would cause my entire being.**

 **The thought of divorcing Ana cut to the core.**

 **She slowly slid her hand away from mine and there was the emptiness I never recognized before. Frustratingly sighing she lied down and wrapped herself in a cocoon of thin white sheet, "I know you'll eventually agree with the divorce. Goodnight, Christian."**

 **I didn't know how long I was staring at her sleeping form. My eyes were at its widest as I recounted all the moments with her. I remembered Malibu and the times in our house when she'd tell me her stories. I remembered how he playfully danced to the iconic scene of Ghost. There were flashes of moments when she'd smile and I visualized myself alone . . . without Sierra . . . without** _ **Ana**_ **. It felt wrong. It felt like a mistake.**

 **For the first time I lied beside her on top of the sheets she used to cover herself. My chest pressed against her back as I held her so close. She was in a deep sleep and there was a little snore.**

 **How come I didn't notice this before?**

 **How come I never noticed how the silver glow of the moon gave spotlight to her angelic face? With the proximity of our position, our heartbeats sing a duet and I couldn't differentiate mine from hers.**

 **A/N: Thank you so much for the 36 reviews I got for the last chapter. I am dying to know how you think about this chapter. I love writing in Christian's point of view, to be honest. And this new characteristic of Ana was fun to write.**

 **What do you think guys? Tell me please.**

 **Thank you!**

 **Margo.**


	16. Part 2 Chapter 3

Author's Note posted below.

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 3**

 _It has been thirty days since Sierra was put in NICU. She's getting bigger and stronger and I'm already so proud of her. She's not ready to be discharged yet despite how her breathing got improved. For once the anxiety lowered down since I'm confident that she can make this._

 _As for me, it's my first day of school. I was already a month behind and the management was kind enough to consider my situation. I held my little girl's tiny hand and it was miraculous how a small person could bring out the strongest in me. Her fragility was my strength and she'd be my compass as I finished college._

" _She looks so much like her father!" Mia exclaimed. I assigned her to watch over my baby since Christian and I were both going to school._

 _I smiled at that. It was true. Her face was all about Christian and all she got from me was my nose. Despite their similarities I still can't stop hating Christian. As soon as I remembered my repetitive request of a divorce, my mood completely changed. My smile faded and bid Mia adieu._

 _Grabbing my backpack I exited the hospital and walked to school. It was only a few blocks away and it made the situation convenient since I spend a hundred percent of my free time with Sierra. My life's all about her now and without her I'd be gone. She defined my whole existence. I guess that's what motherhood's all about._

 _The plan was leaving town with Sierra and giving her the life she deserves. I don't care how much sweat it would take. I needed to take Sierra away from here. We needed to leave. The only thing blocking my way was Christian's refusal of the divorce. I wanted to leave with no ties left behind. Yes, I still desired for Sierra to keep in touch with Christian but I needed to protect myself too._

 _I didn't understand why he kept on insisting not to get a divorce._

 _What's the point of staying in a marriage when you can't ever reciprocate the feelings?_

 _As I passed by a red bricked building, a man whistled and shouted, "Damn! Look at that body!" If this town thought I was the same girl as before then they thought wrong. Personally, catcalling could be considered as sexual harassment. I stiffened out of rage and marched my way to the guy who just insulted me. He was standing by the sidewalk holding his phone as if he were waiting for someone._

" _Excuse me? If you are waiting for your girlfriend or whatever it is you're doing right here, please show some respect! I cannot tolerate such behaviour!" I was reprimanding him._

 _To be honest, he was a face that stepped out from a classy magazine. He wore a formal buttoned shirt with charcoal grey patterned stripes and his glasses made him look more of a model. He had a chiselled body and a perfectly toned jaw perfectly blending with his stubble. His lips were red too. He'd be the perfect pair for Cara in a Guess photoshoot. Too bad he was a catcaller._

" _Uhm . . . what are you talking about?"_

" _Your catcalling! I don't know about you but you have to respect women, okay?"_

 _He was laughing hysterically and I felt even more disgusted. How can he think of sexual objectification as a comedic act? Seriously?_

 _I was about to leave with my last words but there a short guy behind him interrupted, "I was the one who did it. You look even hotter when angry!" He was nowhere near four feet and he ran like a child._

 _Then I realized how embarrassing this was. I instantly blushed and as I looked back at Wrong Person and he was giving me that smug look. He was amused and what I did next was to run like that short guy did._

 **~S.A.~**

 **Even though the financial support from Carrick was back I still haven't stopped working. I went to school for the past months with the gasoline and fuel as my perfume and I could sense that my schoolmates have gotten used to it.**

 **Life could be easier if I maintained to be a full-time student but I needed to give Sierra everything she deserved. When I was done studying I would roam around cheap stores to buy her little pink dresses and lavender tutus.**

 **Walking to my class under the screaming heat of the sun, I realized I wasn't the same man I used to be. I should be rushing by now since I was about to walk in late but I found myself excited for this day to be over to see my little angel. Gone were the days when the future was wholly about building my company. Those visions were accompanied by a little girl's future. I imagined her first walk, first smile, and first day of school. I played out how she'd live an amazing life but rejected to include the first dates. Boys were going to deal with me first.**

" **Christian?" I stopped on my tracks as soon as I heard someone calling me.**

 **Looking at my right side it was Cara who sat on one of the cemented chairs with an open textbook on her lap.**

" **Do you have time?"**

 **I slowly nodded and sat right next to her.**

 **She was the epitome of sophistication as she looked like she was ready to be featured in a magazine spread. If Mia met this woman then she would drop to her knees. I swear once Mia became a designer, Cara would be her model. She was beautiful and no guy would disagree with me. Yes, she's a work of art but she reminded me of pain. That night I got drunk changed the course of my life. We were going fine as partners in life until she came along and I lost control.**

 **She shut the book close.**

" **Christian, I am really sorry for coming here to tell you how I regret not saying yes. I didn't know that you have a family already. If I would have known then I wouldn't come here at all."**

 **Cara? The whole unrequited thing? It didn't matter. One thought of Sierra and no one else mattered.**

" **It's okay, Cara." There was nothing left to say.**

 **She gave me a warm smile before she initiated, "I guess you're already late?"**

 **Out of nowhere I asked her, "Can I hold your hand?"**

" **Huh?" She was really noble as she refused to hold a married man's hand but I need to know something. I needed to know now.**

" **Trust me, Cara. I don't have adulterous intentions. Just trust me."**

 **She hesitantly offered her right hand and I held it loosely with my left.**

 **That's when it took me back to where it all started. We met the summer before my senior year where we served in an orphanage. She was everybody's crush but she was just any other woman to me. What started it all was when we were partnered to organize the talent show and we hated every single bit of it. It ended up as a disaster since no one was impressed of the theme: War of the Roses.**

 **We were speaking about a historical event but they came wearing roses for accessories.**

 **I discovered that Cara was the female version of me. We talked about knowledge and everything about the universe. We talked about the stars and how it was so wide outside the earth, but we never talked about ourselves. I fell in love with Cara, so I thought. The truth was I was in love with the idea of her.**

 **She told me how she dreamed of traveling the world not as a tourist but as a humanitarian aid. She dreamed of being a broadcaster and the way she talked about it was the way I talked about having my own company. It was a bonus when she told me that she will never ever have children.**

 **Cara became part of the future I planned. She would be my wife. Every king needed a queen to support his back and her passion for her craft made me decide that she was the one. I loved Cara not because she was herself but because she was a goal getter.**

 **For sure, she felt the same way about me.**

 **She knew nothing about me and she knew not how I got my scar. How can she say that she loves me?**

 **I was beginning to accept my new life as Ana and I worked together and I let myself become the father of Sierra. Cara came along and that stupid night happened! It wasn't Cara. It was the thought that the life I planned along was never going to happen.**

 **I focused on my holding her hand and that's when I realized that I made the biggest mistake by letting a woman I don't love come between me and my girls.**

 **She had smooth hands and she was a Goddess . . . but she's not Ana. She's not my wife.**

 **What have I done?**

~S.A.~

 _It's my class before dismissal and my feet kept on rocking because I was craving to run back to the hospital to see my little girl. Nobody ever told me that there would always be a connection between a mother and her daughter that sometimes it's too hard to stand if they're not apart even just very temporarily._

 _The girls from behind me gossiped, "Well, I still believe that she got pregnant on purpose to marry Christian Grey."_

 _The other girl was about to reply when I got my perfume from my bag then turned around to spray it over and over until they coughed._

" _What was the for?" they complained._

" _If you want to talk about me, darlings, make sure you do it with fresh breath."_

 _There was silence between the two and I smirked since they didn't have any comeback. I focused on writing one of my stories instead. Since Sierra arrived in this world, I had more stories to tell and it was fair to say that she was my muse. I wrote my new story called 'Seraphic Accident' while the two girls behind my back talked about the hot substitute teacher._

 _This would be the first time I meet him and I would have to approach him to explain my absence._

 _He entered the room and everybody greeted, "Good morning, Sir Sawyer!", "Good morning, Sir Luke!"_

 _I lifted my head and had the biggest shock of the day. It was the wrong guy from the streets earlier and he spotted me. There was that smirk again!_

 _Damn!_

 **Author's Note: Wow! I already have 500 reviews now and that's all because of YOU.**

 **Thanks for reading this chapter.**

 **What do you think about this new chapter?**

 **Reviews?**

 **Margo.**


	17. Part 2 Chapter 4

**A/N posted below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 4**

 **One of the rarest festivals in the world is called El Colacho (or Baby Jumping) in Spain. Due to Adam and Eve's sin it was believed that children were born sinful. In order to eliminate this sin, a man dressed up as the devil would jump over the newborn babies who were placed on the ground. It had been that way since the 1620's and it had been performed annually. This was important as Spaniards believed that if the babies weren't cleansed from their biblical parents' sin then there would be unpleasant things waiting and health would be luckless.**

 **I watched one of those when we spent a vacation there five days ago. I remembered how Grace would walk out because she couldn't take it if something bad happens to the baby. While I was anxious, it didn't hit me as hard as I imagined if Sierra were in their place. Then again, if I lived the same culture then I'd be one of those fathers who would be the first to volunteer my daughter to be cleansed from the sin. I wouldn't want my daughter to live under punishment. She deserved the brightest things in the world.**

 **Sierra was finally discharged from the hospital after sixty two days. Our two month old baby already gained weight and I couldn't stop myself from being emotional as my little girl will finally come home to my house.**

 **The doctor handed Sierra over to Ana and I watched as my two girls wrapped in the invisible arms of love. Ana kissed her face over and over until she squirmed. It made me smile. It was scary how Sierra looked exactly like me. Ana swung her slowly like a dancer careful to drop her partner. When she was satisfied with their moment she handed Sierra over to my anticipating arms.**

 **Our relationship may be rocky but I was so grateful that Ana didn't have the desire to take my fatherhood away.**

 **I held my little girl and she mirrored my grey pools. I smiled at her, "Sierra, Sierra, my butterfly. Daddy loves you. Mommy loves you. You are loved." I held her close to my chest and there was only one thing in my mind: I didn't deserve this angel after everything I've done to her.**

 **Glancing at Ana, she wore that hard expression on her face. It hurt to know that I was the one who stole that light from her. Yes, she grown into this strong woman but I missed the old her. I missed the warmth she held within. She used to be the most caring person never cautious about expressing love. She used to believe that every person deserved to be love. Coming from someone who never had affection from a mother, she proved to be different.**

 **If she grew up with Carla then ceased to be like her. I couldn't be like Carrick as well.**

 **I rested my hand on the small of Sierra's back and listened to the rhythm of the sweet song of her breath. I kissed her head silently apologizing for everything I did before.**

 **I told my daughter with Ana listening, "I will fix things, my darling. I will definitely fix things. Daddy will make everything okay."**

 **There was something that came across Ana's face. For a brief moment, I saw the old her—the old her that I've trampled down.**

 **She said, "Let's go home." She got Sierra and our hands touched and there was that jolt of electricity that I've ignored over and over again. I've let it consumed me for once and I knew Ana felt it too. She just chose to ignore it.**

 **Mark my words: I will fix everything.**

 **~S. A.~**

" _Miss Steele, can I have a word with you?"_

 _Everybody started to leave English class and I would have been the first to exit the door because I knew Sierra was already waiting for me. Suddenly, Professor Sawyer asked me to stay. My fingers shook. I've been avoiding this teacher for so long because of that embarrassing moment and now we are going to talk . . . alone. It felt as if it was judgment day._

 _He sat on his desk while I stood before him._

" _Miss Steele, I—"_

 _Then the words came shooting like bullets from a machine gun, "Professor, .Iamsosorry." I only spoke in a matter of three seconds then I inhaled and exhaled over and over again. Whew! It felt like I was on a race._

 _He raised his brow out of confusion before he asked, "Did you just speak in Mandarin?"_

" _Huh? No, I . . . I don't even know how to speak Mandarin."_

 _He was just as confused as I was so he shook his head and professionally informed, "You write cleverly, Anastasia. The school should know about your talent. Can you give me five sample stories tomorrow? Since I am the moderator the Mosaic then I can appoint you as the daily writer for the literary page."_

" _Huh?" I was beyond shocked and a few seconds later I was pumped._

 _Professor Sawyer smiled, "You are beautiful, Anastasia. You're even more beautiful when you write."_

 _That statement made me a little uncomfortable so I decided to concentrate on the offer instead. Give him the best five stories tomorrow? I can definitely do that! I was never used to sharing my writing before and the only person I shared it with hurt me the most. It's time for my thoughts to be heard._

" _You can count on me," I told Professor Sawyer._

 **~S.A.~**

" **Baby girl, why are you getting so cranky, huh? Mommy's trying everything here. Baby, please quiet down. I couldn't take it when you cry." My wife's voice cracked as she rocked our crying daughter back and forth. It was one of those moments when she cried for nothing. She wasn't hungry nor she didn't poop. She was becoming moody and Ana was trying her best to keep up with her.**

 **I stood by the door and saw how papers were sprawled on the floor of the nursery. Ana was very busy and just as I was. I just arrived from three brain twisting quizzes today and there were so many rude customers in the gas station, but Ana deserved to rest.**

" **Hi! What's going on? You have loads of homework?"**

 **She shook her head, "No, it's just that I have to write five articles because I am applying to be a part of the school paper."**

" **You're applying for Mosaic?" The school paper was very impressive. It had very comprehensive articles with a little touch of creative writing. Ana was never the one to write about facts so I asked another one, "Is it for creative writing?"**

" **Yes, Christian. I have to write five stories so that I would be assigned to that section of the paper." Sierra's cries got louder and Ana shushed her patiently. She was very haggard as sweat dripped from her hairstrands and her hands scribbled something only to throw the paper to the side. She couldn't concentrate at all.**

 **I walked towards her and opened my arms for my little girl.**

" **Let me take care of her, Ana."**

" **Are you sure?"**

 **I nodded with an assuring smile. She gave me Sierra who only cried louder when I carried her.**

 **Ana thanked me desperately before I gave her the space to write down her limitless imagination. I was really proud that she's joining Mosaic. She would be revolutionary. This paper would be better because of her presence as an author.**

 **I sang a few nursery rhymes as I tried to soothe her sobs while cleaning the mountain of dishes. I sang 'Old McDonald' and that slowly made her go silent. Wow! I smiled proudly to myself. Sierra was looking at me with a mouth curved down. That was progress, right? She wasn't crying any longer. In fact, she's judging my singing so I remembered all animals that could be in a farm.**

 **Somewhere in between I got lost so I sang:**

 **Old McDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O**

 **And on his farm he had a . . . donkey? E-I-E-I-O**

 **With a . . . . Shrek, Shrek here and a Shrek, Shrek there . . . uh, I don't know the sound of the donkey so that was the sound of the donkey the movie, right? I don't know.**

 **Sierra suddenly cried again so I apologized, "Sorry baby. Daddy's going to study the lyrics better, alright?" Nursery rhymes were more difficult than solving algebra equation.**

 **I went to our room and since we only had one baby monitor, we decided to sleep next to each other. Of course, there would be an allotted space but occasionally I couldn't stop myself from being tangled with her presence. I bounced my crying baby on my lap while studying. I honestly couldn't concentrate but I can't be impatient either.**

 **Sierra cried all over again until she got too tired. Her eyes fluttered close while I yawned tempting to join her. My joints were sore and my brain was squeezed from all of those questions earlier. I closed all my notes and clippings before I lied down the bed with Sierra sleeping soundly on my chest.**

 **Ana's side was empty completely describing what I felt right now. It was more hurtful when I woke with the same scenario. There was no Ana beside me.**

 **Author's Note: I hope this chapter brought smiles in your faces. I have reread my story and thought, "Damn! This was too heavy. Why don't I add a little something before things go dramatic again?"**

 **Thank you for the massive number of reviews, favorites, and follows.**

 **What do you think?**

 **Reviews, please?**

 **Margo.**


	18. Part 2 Chapter 5

**Author's Note down there.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Four months later Ana gained much more confidence. After reading her stories, her fellow students respected her. Gone were the days when she had to defend herself from all the persecution. She was the eye of the storm and she was unstoppable. She reminded me why storms were named after people.**

 **Things haven't changed that much: She still was the same Anastasia, the loving mother to our little butterfly. I fell deeper when she had that marvelled expression written across her face as she saw how Sierra was growing. She can communicate properly now and she could eat solid food. From time to time, she would courageously try to support herself using her knees and palms. Ana and I would laugh at how she would have that determined face each unsuccessful attempt.**

 **Things haven't changed that much: Ana still pushed for the divorce.**

 **Things haven't changed that much: I still haven't told her how I felt.**

 **I was never the type who would get attached to another person. I was fine being on my own. I've always thought that love was for the weak and most people who tend to love were those incapable of dreaming that big in life. It's the opposite actually because you realize the weight of your dreams once the one you love is involved.**

 **Part of me was still scared of being hurt. I know it's a stupid reason but fear just kept creeping up on me.**

" **I need to go now because we have a staff meeting. Don't forget to tell Maggie about Sierra's needs, okay?"**

" **I won't forget it just as long as you don't forget your lunch." I handed her the lunchbox as if she was a grade school student. She raised her brows then instantly freaked out when she saw what I prepared for her: tuna sandwiches and slices of red apples. Despite her cold aura there was still a little piece of the old her when she got one of those.**

" **Thanks, Christian," my heart fluttered when she flashed me that beautiful smile. She kissed Sierra's cheek once again before she walked to school.**

 **I cleaned the whole house while reading the book. Sierra was watching TV. I knew she didn't understand but I assumed she just loved the flashing colors. I had a quiz today and it was alarming because Maggie wasn't answering her phone. She's the babysitter we hired just over a month ago.**

 **Mia got so busy with her extra-curricular activities that she didn't have time to keep watch of Sierra. Of course, we weren't stupid to entrust our daughter to our parents. We tried Elliott once and he slept the whole day then woke up with Sierra playing with the television's plug. I didn't speak to my brother for two long weeks. Ana was just as upset as I was.**

 **We didn't like Maggie that much but we didn't have a choice. One, she was so old. Second, she kept talking about her dead husband. Third, she worked on her own terms. The clock signalled that I only had fifteen minutes before my exam and I cursed under breath. I swore I was never going hire Maggie again.**

 **I picked Sierra up and told her, "Promise Daddy you will behave, okay?"**

" **Bu-bu-bu-bu-bu . . ." she repeated over and over and despite the overwhelming stress I've felt, I managed to smile and showered her face with kisses. I didn't speak her language but it just melted my heart.**

 **I couldn't disturb Ana since I knew that this had always been her dream. I took the biggest risk.**

 **Everybody stared as I ran along the hallway. I was officially Christian Grey, aspiring billionaire late for the exams with a baby in his arms, trying not to lose over this overtly windy day. I entered the awfully silent classroom and everybody had such incredulous facial expressions. I could sense some of them wanted to squish Sierra right now.**

" **Mr Grey, what's this?" Professor Crowe wasn't impressed.**

" **I need to take this exam but my daughter doesn't have someone to watch over her. I swear she will be good."**

 **There was a hint of sympathy in his eyes before he reluctantly nodded and handed the questionnaire over.**

 **I sat next to a dark skinned girl and she smiled at my little girl.**

" **Isn't she really cute?"**

" **Yes, thank you and she will cooperate today." I kissed Sierra before answering my exams. I bounced her up and down on my lap and I thanked all heavens when she fell asleep. We were given three hours and it was unbelievable how she slept all throughout.**

 **It became more incredible when she only woke up when I passed the papers.**

" **This won't happen again, Mr Grey, okay?"**

 **I nodded at the professor.**

 **Before we walked out, he pinched Sierra's cheeks lightly—a proof that she could catch so many hearts even without trying.**

 **As soon as we got out of the classroom, I was laughing to myself.**

" **Daddy is so proud of you. Daddy loves you. Thank you so much, little butterfly." I cooed over and over.**

" **Bu-bu-bu-bu," that's all she said.**

" **Bu-bu-bu-bu," I replied.**

 _~S.A.~_

 _Professor Luke Sawyer's twenty six years old which meant that he's eight years older than I am. I was highly impressed by his credentials and his talent in editorial management. In all the years of Mosaic, this was the first time students treated it as if it were one of those widely popular magazines._

 _Things weren't the same anymore. I was not the girl they looked down. Students would approach me asking how I write my stories, when I started, and why they never had a happy ending. I was treated normally and gone was the definition of being the preacher man's daughter._

 _I built a definition on my own._

" _I am pretty sure that this January issue of Mosaic will be the most exciting. Please research now and write your articles well. We need to meet the deadline. Meeting adjourned."_

" _Thank you, Professor Luke." All of us said not at the same time but he responded just as the same. I didn't leave like the rest did since I picked up the bond papers that were scattered on the table. He did the same as well and it didn't take long when he accidentally touched my hand. I quickly pulled away but there was a sudden glow in his eyes._

" _I am sorry about that, Sir."_

 _He smiled, "I am not. I would trade everything just to hold a hand of a beautiful lady."_

 _There he was again, making me uncomfortable. For the past four months of working with him, he would discretely make advances and I would dismiss them as jokes but there were times when he would reach my limits. Professor Sawyer gave me chocolates and sometimes roses and I didn't react since he said it was all about giving thanks for my write-ups._

 _I felt the need to warn him, "I am married and I have a daughter." I didn't include the divorce information since it would only exaggerate his advances._

" _That's the problem," he was serious that it made me cringe. He shook his head and changed his expression, "Anyway, let's not dwell on that so much. Sorry for the unprofessionalism. Let's talk about ways to innovate the school paper."_

 _We walked together and he kept on presenting his ideas while I listened impatiently. If I wasn't that much grateful with him then I would have walked out just now. I owed him a lot since he boosted my confidence and he somehow turned my reputation upside down._

 _When we came out of the school building, the violent blow of the wind hit us. It wasn't very friendly and my hair was all over the place. It was really annoying. Not only that my leaves were flying in the air. I heard Professor Sawyer laughed like a little child before he did something that stiffened me. He brushed the strands of dark locks covering my face and he cupped both of my cheeks._

 _Before I got the chance to stop him, "YOU ASSHOLE!" Christian screamed on top of his lungs before he punched Professor on the face._

 _~S.A.~_

 **It was a scene from the movies I dreaded to watch. This was a live romance movie that pierced through my heart. They exited the school building with the wind greeting them an unfriendly hello. He cupped my wife's cheeks lovingly as the leaves danced around them.**

 **Since the 1700's, Matadors used color red muleta to arise the rage of the bulls. What people didn't know was that it wasn't the color that made the bull go wild. It would the the waving of the muleta. It didn't matter which color just as long as it was waving.**

 **I didn't care who was with Ana, just as long he was doing something inappropriate to her, I would definitely jump like a bull.**

 **With Sierra still wrapped around my arms I instantly jumped between them and punched the asshole in the cheek. He stumbled to the ground and there was blood. Ana gasped and took a grip of my arms, "Christian! Stop! Stop!"**

" **You fucking asshole, stay away from my wife!"**

 **He didn't respond so I just walked out and it ached even more when Ana apologized to him for a second before following behind me. She was trying to keep up with my pace.**

" **Why did you have to do that? He was my professor! Christian, how could you?"**

" **How could I let somebody touch my wife's face? You are not stupid, Ana. You know he liked you more than that!" I was screaming and people were looking at us. Good! There would be new gossip in town. Ana didn't care as well so she kept on ranting while I turned quiet hugging Sierra to my chest as we marched all the way down to our house.**

 **As Ana kept on shouting, I felt the fire burning inside me. I was extremely jealous of what I saw and I didn't know I was capable of that before. What Ana was making me discover was the side of me that loved too much that I would be ready to kill. He was a threat and there was no other way to deny he wanted Ana.**

 **I wouldn't let anyone destroy my family.**

 **We finally reached the house and to add up to the noise, Sierra was crying. I placed her on the crib beside the sofa when Ana yelled, "See? This is why I want a divorce! This cannot work out! This won't ever work out! We're trapping ourselves in misery!"**

" **That's not true! Don't you see what I'm trying to do?!" My voice was just as loud as hers.**

" **You're ruining everything! That's all you know. What were you doing in my school anyway?" She yelled louder and it appeared to be a contest with Sierra's cries.**

 **That's when I lowered down my voice, "Sierra and I were trying to surprise you with movie tickets. I saved money for them since I knew how much you wanted to watch the movie so . . . that didn't work well, huh?"**

 **Her eyes widened and there was a wave of frustration, "Christian, what—"**

 **I decided it's time to tell her, "I love you, Anastasia."**

 **She froze.**

" **I love you and I will not let go of you."**

 **She shook her head again and again, "Christian, please . . ."**

 **I cupped both of her cheeks and it felt perfect. Then I pressed my forehead to hers, "Please give me the chance. I will prove it to you. Please give me a chance."**

 **As if she knew what was going on, Sierra stopped crying. I felt Ana's heartbeat just as fast as I was. Here I was baring my soul to the girl who deserved it. I never deserved her but that didn't mean I won't try.**

 **We stayed like that for a moment—forehead to forehead, unspoken thoughts to unspoken thoughts.**

 **She answered, "I'll give you until Sierra's first birthday."**

" **Six months," I nodded at that, completely agreeing.**

 **Ana broke off our position to carry Sierra from her crib. She began feeding her and said sorry again and again.**

 **That's when I swore I will make best of the six months.**

 **A/N: Thank you for the amazing reviews!**

 **Thank you! Words can't describe how grateful I am.**

 **I live in the Philippines and I have one of my friends who suffered from poverty. When her mother is too busy working then she would go to school carrying her baby sister. It was very emotional of me to write about that part in the story since it was inspired by her.**

 **Reviews for this chapter?**

 **Margo.**


	19. Part 2 Chapter 6

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Month 1 out of 6**

" _I am sorry about what I did yesterday, Ana. I just got carried away with my feelings," Professor Luke apologized when all the staff members had left the room. I hated how the two of us would be left alone after the meeting. I intended to be the first one to leave but he just made ways to make me stay._

 _He just asked me to stack these feature articles just now. I couldn't say no in front of other students because if I did, Professor Luke won't take it as an answer._

 _I didn't respond. I acted as though I was alone. If I didn't feel indebted to him then I wouldn't have been nice. The bruise on his face from Christian's punch yesterday was oddly satisfying. Day by day his steps in crossing the line have gone farther and I thought of how unprofessional it was._

" _Anastasia, may I walk you home?"_

 _I slammed the stacked papers so hard on the table that it almost sounded like thunder. I couldn't take this anymore!_

" _Sir, with all due respect, I thank you for choosing me as one of the writers for Mosaic and boosting my confidence when it comes to my writing but this has to stop, okay? Stop! You are my teacher and I am your student so let's keep it that way."_

 _With that I walked out of the room not bothering that I haven't finished his request. I didn't care if he cut me off from the school paper. I wanted to be respected as a writer. I just gained people's respect and I wasn't going to lose it because of new rumors like me dating the young teacher spreading all over the air. I was done with slut-shaming._

 _As I walked the empty hallway, I thought of the situation back home. Christian told me a lie saying that he loves me. Of course, I don't believe him! Why would I? I was too tired of fighting so I agreed by giving him six months._

 _He doesn't know but I already consulted with a lawyer and the papers are still on the process. Once it's done then I would sign it. Christian need not to worry since the papers would be about my taking myself away from him. He would still be Sierra's father. It would be perfect since surely he would be with Cara so he'd sign it. It will be after Sierra's first birthday and I'm already done with high school. We'll go out of this town and Christian will still see our daughter from time to time._

 _That's the plan and this six months courting will not be a hindrance since Christian's lying._

 _I am not the same girl anymore. He cannot fool me. Yes, he loves but he is not in love with and those two are completely opposite things._

 _As I went out of the school building, I stopped on my tracks. There he was sitting on the bench under the January snow. He was clearly shivering but he was so cheerful when he saw me. He ran across the white coated field and there we stood a few inches apart._

" _Hello Ana," The cold air coming from his mouth was visible. His nose was slightly red as well._

" _What are you doing here?"_

" _I am walking you home," he informed as he handed me a red rose. It's winter and he got me a fresh rose? Where did he get this? He added, "For my beautiful wife."_

 _Astounded, I accepted it, "Thanks?"_

 _Wordlessly the two of us walked home under the tender descending of the snowflakes. I smelled the rose and it took me to another season._

 _Then it occurred to me that maybe he wasn't lying at all._

 _~S.A.~_

 _The school bell rang and it was the best part of the day. Well, I couldn't say that I spent the whole day in school brain twisting about the different classes since I spent most of the times scribbling my stories while the teacher discussed stuffs I cared less about._

 _I've already used half of my notebook and they're all about the fairy tales I've written. I've provided some to Mosaic since Professor Sawyer didn't remove me from the staff members._

 _Some students said goodbye to me and I gave them a small smile in response. I grabbed my backpack and I hated how my heart beat like a drum since I knew Christian's going to be waiting for me. For the past nine consecutive school days he would wait outside the bench surrounded by the snow with a red rose at hand. I had put them all in a vase now and the first ones were withering. He made sure to add roses so the vase never emptied._

 _A huge of wave of disappointment hit me when I went outside and he was nowhere in sight. I found myself standing by his bench laughing at myself sarcastically._

 _How could I ever think it could go on like this every day? Of course, it was only a lie. How could I ever compete with Cara? I may have transformed into a stronger version of myself but that didn't mean that I still wasn't insecure especially when it came to Cara, the perfect supermodel._

 _I exhaled frustratingly when . . ._

" _Ana! Ana! Thank God you're still here! I am so sorry I'm late! Something came up in the station," suddenly my soul lifted up when Christian arrived looking all flushed and breathless. He ran through the icy grounds with the red rose._

 _He's here! He's here! He just came late. I still have a rose._

 _I grabbed it from his hand and smelled it as if I haven't received one in my whole lifetime._

" _Let's go home," I told him. I didn't know what came over me but I interlocked my gloved fingers with his. It was as if I was relieved when he came._

 _~S.A.~_

 _It was a cold weekend and there wasn't much to do. The three of us were in the living room watching another episode of Barney. Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato were there and they were singing about the sea. Sierra was on my lap looking so cheerful because of the colors shown._

 _I got bored so I lifted Sierra for her to meet my gaze._

" _Sierra, say Mama."_

 _She spoke gibberish._

" _Ma-ma," I emphasized the syllables over and over but she still didn't get it._

 _Sierra turned her head back to the television and I frowned like a little girl._

" _Sierra, baby girl, come on, say Mama!"_

 _Okay, this was hopeless!_

" _Ana, I am going to be the one to teach her that," Christian who was lying down the floor sat beside us and took Sierra from my arms. There was no denying that he really does love his daughter. He looked at her as if he were the world. There was no trace of the man who called her an accident. Still, I didn't let it fool me though._

 _I was still cautious._

" _Sierra, say Mama," Christian had that Daddy voice again._

" _Come on, say Mama," he repeated and I laughed because we looked like a bunch of crazies._

 _Then he told our seven month old daughter, "Say 'Mama go on a date with Daddy'."_

 _He said slowly this time, "Sierra say 'Mama, go on a date with Daddy'."_

 _He held my gaze afterwards and I suddenly got lost under the storm of his grey eyes once more. It hit me again like a typhoon. What scared me more was that I said yes to going on a date with him._

 **~S.A.~**

 **When I will have my own company I will take Ana to a restaurant with a floor so shiny and gold we could see our reflection. I'll take her to a place where we are the priority of the maître d. We'd feast on scallops and lobsters and violins would play by our side as we engaged in a conversation so random the musicians would roll their eyes.**

 **I didn't have the world yet. Once I have it, it will all be given to her.**

 **Right now all I could afford was a cheap restaurant where we could where we could eat a decent salad and burger and a little bit of champagne. I chose this place since no one was around. I felt bad for the singer because it was only Ana and I.**

 **Upon observing my wife, I noticed that she was so uncomfortable. Her eyes roamed all over my face and it hit me right to my core. She deserved so much better. She needed to be in fancy places and needed to taste luxurious food. I instantly felt sorry for myself as well.**

" **I am sorry because this is all I can afford for now. I cannot uhm . . . take you somewhere fancy with Sierra's needs and all. I promise I'll do better next time," I told her.**

 **She immediately shook her head and replied, "I like the food, Christian. You have nothing to apologize for." Her looking down made it hard for me to be convinced.**

" **Then what's the matter?"**

 **She suddenly looked up with blue eyes glimmering. She was about to release tears and it formed another crack in my heart. Since Sierra was born she had shown an immense amount of strength and she refused to let her guard down. This was the first time she showed much vulnerability.**

" **I don't want to get hurt again," she simply said and but it made me despise myself.**

" **I am sorry for everything, Ana. I am making it up to you right now and I will never hurt you again. Never." We stared at each other for a long time and I was relieved that her tears didn't pour. The singer began to sing Unchained Melody and both of us recalled the moment when we re-enacted the famous scene from the 1990 film, 'Ghost'.**

" **Dance with me?"**

 **She hesitantly took my hand and the two of us danced in the middle of the empty restaurant. As the song played, thousands of memories came in a form of a flashback. There were snippets of both of us smiling and enjoying time as friends. Then, there was the time she confessed to me. What if I looked her past that before? What if I tried to feel instead of to think? Life would have been so different. I shook my head and buried all regrets behind.**

 **These six months are the chance for the brand new start and I wouldn't waste it dwelling on regrets.**

 **The singer played the second song and as I listened to the lyrics, I held my wife tighter. The song lyrics perfectly expressed what I felt for her right now.**

 _ **I'm gonna love you**_

 _ **Like I'm gonna lose you**_

 _ **I'm gonna love you like I'm saying goodbye**_

 _ **Wherever we're standing I won't take you for granted**_

' _ **Cause we never know when we'll run out of time**_

 _ **So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you**_

 _ **I'm gonna love you like I'm saying goodbye**_

 **A/N: Thank you for the reviews I got from last chapter.**

 **You amaze me, guys!**

 **Reviews for this chapter, please?**

 **What do you think of this?**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Margo.**


	20. Part 2 Chapter 7

**A/N: Clarifications: Christian is a year older than Ana. Ana's a senior in high school while Christian's a freshman in college.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Month 2 out of 6**

" _Hey teacher's pet, Valentine's night is coming and I'm here to inform you about the motif. We are going to dress up as superheroes," Adrienne, one of the Mosaic staff and organizers of the Valentine's night informed while I fixed my untidy locker._

" _What did you just call me?" I can sense that there was something off about her._

" _Oops! I didn't mean to say it out loud."_

 _I shot her a piercing look and she did the same._

" _You and Professor Sawyer have a thing and it's pretty obvious. He's got the hots for you! Wow! You surely are a lot of things, Anastasia. You're a teen mom, a teacher's pet, and an adulteress?"_

" _The only thing you said correctly is teen mom and I am not ashamed of it. I am not ashamed of my daughter," It took more than her destroy me._

" _Well, if you continue your charades with Professor Sawyer then she'll be the one who's shameful."_

 _I slammed the locker door shut and it pissed me that she didn't even flinch. She crossed her arms with eyebrows pointed upwards. I gave her a sarcastic laugh when I told her, "Go ahead and spread the rumors! It's nothing new!"_

 _She rolled her eyes and said, "Well, I know you're not coming anyway. Why am I wasting my time? I just came here to inform you about the theme of the dance."_

 _I've never attended the Valentine's night my whole high school life because it wasn't me and frankly, Christian never attended so I didn't see any reason why. If she thought I would be the same girl people used to bully then she's wrong. I've completely changed and I will prove it to her._

" _I am coming to the dance," I declared._

 _She smirked and huskily said, "See you there, Anastasia."_

 _When she was out of sight I shook the negative energy off and reminded myself that I had to stay strong. There were only a few months left before graduation, and Sierra and I will be running away from this horrible town._

 _However, that plan faded each time I stepped out of school. There was Christian with a rose at hand._

 _I stopped myself from smiling but deep inside I was dancing._

 _~S.A.~_

" **Are you sure that this is a good idea? Ana, I am unsure about this." It was a Saturday, one of my favourite days since it meant being lazy at home with my girls. We were spending it searching for Ana's superhero costume to be used on school's Valentine's night.**

 **On the accounts of history, Valentine's Day wasn't associated with romantic love at all. Saint Valentinus performed weddings for soldiers who weren't allowed to get married and he also ministered for Christians. Those were the causes of his imprisonment. Before he was executed, he wrote a letter to one of the jailer's daughter with a sign, 'from your Valentine'. He was buried on the 14** **th** **day of February. It wasn't until the 1700's when people celebrated his day for romance.**

 **If Valentine's wasn't originally for romance then why would it be for superheroes?**

 **I never attended this stupid event in the school but Mia always did and I was always there to accompany her in buying clothes. There were no costumes but gowns only. She wore a pink one last year and she corrected me, "No it's not pink but old rose!"**

 **Where's she now? She's in California presenting her designs to a dressing company. Mom and Dads were pissed and that made me proud of her. Of course, loser Ethan was with her.**

" **Ana, that costume looks exquisite on you but I have a bad feeling about this," she was in a Wonder Woman costume and she just nailed it. She was perfect from head to foot although I thought she looked the most beautiful when she just woke up in the morning.**

" **Bu bu bu bu," Sierra mumbled over and over as I rocked her on my lap.**

" **Sierra agrees," I told my wife.**

 **She shook her head and got irritated, "Christian, why so much scepticism? If you don't feel like choosing a costume for me then go home! I can manage trying on clothes while carrying Sierra. You can go if you want to."**

 **She was trying to get on my nerves but it wasn't wise to fight her.**

 **Despite my pride and my negative feeling I decided to cool down first, "I'm sorry."**

 **That's all I said. I was sure something's wrong.**

 **~S.A.~**

" **Hey!" I was walking to my next class which is in another building when Cara suddenly appeared beside me. She kept up with my pace and as usual she looked more like a professor instead of a student. She seemed to be in a great mood. She always was.**

 **The funny thing about this was that I looked at Cara like a sister. From time to time we would cross paths in school and we would always take the time to catch up. I was infatuated with the shallow thought of her and now she's in a new light. She's an amazing person and we get along well. We could be siblings.**

" **Hi Cara! What's up?"**

" **Just walking to my next class, Christian. You're doing the same?"**

" **Yes, I am!" I confirmed.**

 **She cleared her throat then expressed desperately, "I have a problem, Christian. I am hosting this Valentine's event for orphans and I can't seem to figure out what to do. All I know is that there is going to be an event on fourteenth and they are going to be happy. I just don't know how."**

 **Cara was charitable. She had been blessed with so many attributes. Apart from that she was born with the silver spoon. Her father's the owner of Pierce Corp and although her mother died giving birth to her, she grew up full of love since James Pierce treated Cara like his most valuable gem. He loved Cara the way I loved Sierra: a man discovering the sun and nobody where he looked its light was always there.**

" **If you don't mind me asking, Cara, you're really good with kids but why don't you want to have one in the future?"**

 **I immediately regretted asking her that. I didn't know that it was too personal. Her glow disappeared and for the first time, I saw that she almost wanted to cry.**

 **I quickly found a segway, "Cara, I think I know what to about the event."**

 **~S.A.~**

 _14_ _th_ _of February came and I was satisfied with my Wonder Woman look. I wore a black coat as I headed to school. I wouldn't dance the whole night. I just needed to show up to prove to that Adrienne that I would be there despite the rumors. My hair was shining and it was very DC comics from top to bottom. I did my best to mimic the comic and it surely paid off. There would be a lot of Wonder Woman there but I was the original._

 _Christian and Sierra weren't there when I left. It bothered me since I wanted to see me all glammed up. My insensitive husband said he just felt the need to take Sierra to a toy shop. Of course, he would spend a lot of money again._

 _He also wasn't very supportive of this event. It was obvious that he didn't want me to socialize. Ugh! Enough! I wouldn't talk about how frustrating my husband was. Well, future ex-husband._

 _I finally arrived and before I made my entrance to the gym I took off my coat._

 _I never expected starry eyed reactions or a round of applause. I never had the face to stand out from the crowd. I expected things to be normal and they would think, "Wow! She showed up!" Instead I was faced with very shocked expressions . . . for a very wrong reason._

 _There I was looking red, wanting to melt on the spot. I felt like someone just stepped on me and I was lying flat on the ground. I was in a Wonder Woman costume while everybody was all glammed up Oscar red carpet style. It was very embarrassing. The women were wearing glittering gowns and the men in tuxedo. I spotted Professor Sawyer and I saw the pity in his eyes._

 _Adrienne, on the other hand, looked very satisfied. She stepped out of the crowd and opened her mouth to speak, "Well, look at her! What's with the attire, Anastasia? Too desperate to be noticed?"_

 _I wanted to cry. I wanted to pop all the balloons and throw away the buffet. I wanted to slap her across the face and pull all her hair out until she got bald. Tears almost poured down but then Superman appeared out of nowhere . . . literally._

" _Ana, you seem to be in the wrong venue. The event's in the auditorium," I silently looked back and there was Christian looking just as stupid as I was in a Superman costume. He did look the part as a few strands of his copper hair formed the letter S. He also had a lean body. He saw my glimmering eyes and I could sense the new strength he gathered._

" _Christian Grey? What are you doing here?" Adrienne looked horrified._

" _Yes, Ana was misinformed. The event should be in the auditorium and not in the gym."_

 _She laughed mockingly, "What event? Look at this married couple! They're making up stories!"_

 _A nerdy girl in a plain white dress spoke out of nowhere, "Uhm . . . Adrienne, there's really an event going on. It's for a charity thing, for orphans I believe. They just organized it lately so maybe that's why you're not informed."_

 _Adrienne looked very much defeated. I felt Christian took a hold of my hand and our fingers interlocked. I suddenly felt angry at myself for being such a bitch to him. I had so much to apologize for._

" _Guys, come on! Ana came here and she's wearing a Wonder Woman costume? Isn't it so funny? Haha! Haha! Haha! Come on guys, laugh with me! She got embarrassed, right?" I pitied Adrienne because she was begging for everyone to treat me as a comedic object but everyone seemed not to care at all._

 _Christian explained, "We are telling the truth, Miss Whoever-You-Are. We came here with the intention to attend the charity event held in the auditorium. The Pierce Corp organized it for orphans and it's a superhero movie marathon. Everyone is required to be in a superhero costume."_

 _Adrienne looked stressed out, "No! No! It's for orphans, right? Why would you attend?"_

" _Because I'm a close associate with Carietta Pierce, daughter of James Pierce, owner of the company and also, Ana and I have a daughter who's fund of watching colors on screen."_

" _NO!" She screamed on top of her lungs and all of our schoolmates were laughing at her._

" _See for yourself," Christian challenged as he grabbed my hand to lead me all the way to the school auditorium. Of course, Adrienne followed because I don't know, she hates me?_

 _We arrived in the auditorium and Adrienne threw a fit! Oh my goodness! She was crying out loud because she failed. The room was filled with kids who were in different superhero costumes and there was a Superman movie projected on screen. We could hear "whoa's" and "wows" coming from kids._

 _Then, there she was! The supermodel, Cara Pierce looking like a queen in her X-Men costume. Her ebony black hair was pulled up to a bun emphasizing her features. That made me very jealous of her. What made me more uncomfortable was that she was holding my little Sierra who was dressed up as a min-Black Widow. Her copper hair started growing and it made her look so much better._

 _I snatched my daughter away from her grasp and she gave me a sincere and understanding smile._

 _Cara then looked at the crying Adrienne. She sassily said, "No costume, no entry." She slammed the wooden door to her face._

" _Whoa! She's really a bitch, isn't she? Oh by the way, it's nice to meet you, Ana . . . again," she still recognized me as the weak pregnant girl nearly a year ago._

" _You've already met?" Christian's expression was incredulous._

 _Cara spoke unexpected words, "Yes, and to be honest, I always knew she's strong. Talk to you later, Ana. I still have a few kids to talk to."_

 _She exited and I couldn't ignore the beautiful body she possessed. That made me jealous. I wasn't fat nor skinny but I was never fit. I wasn't beautiful or ugly but I was never attractive. She just had something that made me feel so insecure._

 _I shook those thoughts away and kissed my baby girl over and over. She looked so beautiful._

 _I let those insecurities slide since I was so overwhelmed with Christian's overwhelming Superman act._

 _~S.A.~_

 **We were in the corner of the auditorium where my back was press against the old wall. Sierra was sleeping soundly on Ana's shoulders. We were still wearing these stupid superhero costumes.**

 **I was beyond grateful that Cara agreed with my idea. I really wanted to kill that stupid girl who threw a tantrum because she wanted Ana to be embarrassed. But now, that murderous intention went gone as I focused on Ana's confession as to how she met Cara.**

 **She told me how she went to the mall and got bullied. Cara stood up for her and it made her feel so insecure. She was feeling stressed out that night I got drunk and it didn't help when she met Cara. It all came back to me. All of this was my fault. She spoke the words and they were the kryptonite. I was becoming weaker and weaker by each confession. If only I didn't turn out to be a huge asshole, my little butterfly wouldn't have suffered in her first days on earth.**

" **Enough about that, Christian, what's done is done. How did you do this?"**

 **In the months since the birth of our daughter, I felt like Ana was human. The room was dark and the only light came from the movie projected in front. The lights illuminate her face and I never saw something as beautiful as this. She seemed to be stone cold lately but today there was hope. I saw a hint of the old Ana, the Ana I've hurt, the Ana I've neglected, and worst of all, the Ana I never realized I loved all along.**

" **I knew something was up so this is a backup plan," I told her.**

 **Her eyes lit up and I got modest all of a sudden.**

 **I mumbled all too fast, "I thought of the possible scenarios that could happen. Someone might embarrass you or someone hates you that much they want to destroy you. I didn't waste the opportunity when Cara asked suggestions from me. I also didn't want to make you—"**

 **Then her lips were on mine. It took a while for me to acknowledge what was going on. She kissed me! My bones tingled and something in me came alive. I closed my eyes kissing her back feeling as though I was whole. When I kissed her, it was like I was reminded that I've never been complete my whole life.**

 **With Sierra between us and the light coming from the film, our lips attached like they were always meant to fit.**

 **Author's Note: Wow! We're near to 700 reviews now and we're not even in part 3 yet. A huge thanks to all of you! Thank you also for the 500 followers! I love you all so much.**

 **What do you think of this superhero chapter?**

 **Please tell me your thoughts.**

 **Margo.**


	21. Part 2 Chapter 8

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Month 3 out of 6**

Home

by Anastasia Rose Steele-Grey

Once there was a cub that grew up with the buffalos. He didn't know how he came to the place, but he tried so hard to fit in. His mother buffalo would treat him coldly but he remained optimistic, and he strived to be the baby buffalo she dreamed of.

The cub craved for meat but decided to eat plants instead.

"Mother, I have a surprise for you," he said while trying to hide the one thousand blades of grass he brought for her.

"Save that surprise, little cub. I will never be impressed with you," the mother buffalo walked out and the cub spent the whole day crying. It didn't take long before the sky joined him in mournful tears.

He still tried to make her happy but each attempt was unsuccessful. The little cub tried to play with little buffalos but they teased him for being different. The cub spent his days walking all alone dreaming of another life where he lived in a place where he truly belonged.

One night there was a crime made! The biggest of all buffalo was found dead with a huge bite in the middle of his stomach. Blood poured heavily and all the buffalos were frightened as they knew another creature was about to wipe out all of them.

"The cub did this! Look at his teeth! He did this!" Everybody accused as if they were persecuting mobs with pitchforks at hand. The cub was weeping while trying to save himself. He claimed that he didn't have anything to do with the crime yet no one believed him for he was different.

All the buffalos prepared to rummage him and it tore him apart knowing that one of them was his mother. On his feet he ran and ran as fast as he could, thousands of buffalos aiming to kill him from behind. Underneath the calm breathing of the moon was the panicking cub with one foot already stepping on the floors of death.

The cub stopped in front of a lion. It was the ruler among their habitat. Its mane was made of pure gold and he roared so loud all the buffalos lost their horns. The cub subconsciously hid behind him.

All the buffalos ran off yet the cub was still crying as if he wore the most painful scar. The lion nuzzled him and whispered to his ear, "I've been searching for you my whole life."

"Huh?"

"You're my son. You're the heir of this kingdom."

At last, the cub found his home.

 **Ana's fingers reminded me of a dog's movement when it wanted to remove the water from its body. They were shaking so fast that I could barely imagined it moving in slow motion. She seemed uncomfortable with this story and I swore she wanted to cry.**

 **I was preparing our dinner when she asked my opinion on this story she just wrote. She was biting her nails and it was never a good sign. I turned the microwave off and focused on her.**

" **Ana, this story is beautiful. You write marvellously as always. Why do you seem to be so bothered?"**

 **She shook her head over and over, "Christian, I . . . ugh . . . I don't know! It's just that that story is pretty much personal to me. I am not nervous if people will like it. I just don't like the feelings rushing over me when I read that story."**

" **Baby, if you want to cry then come here," I stretched my arms open and with no hesitations she wrapped her arms around my torso and cried to my chest.**

 **I embraced her so tightly in return and let her cry out. Her tears felt like acid on my chest as they managed to go through my heart and burn it. I never liked it when she cries. I wanted to stop her but it just seemed impossible. I kissed her temple and the top of her head. That pattern continued on for fifteen times.**

" **Ana, please tell me what I can do. What can I do to make you stop crying?"**

 **She shook her head.**

 **I asked a wiser question, "Why are you crying, Ana?"**

 **That's when she pulled back and her broken expression tore me apart. I cupped her face with my hands and they fit perfectly. I effortlessly wiped those tears away using my thumbs and my heart swelled when she turned her head to kiss the palm of my hand.**

 **She looked me into the eyes so vulnerable when she said, "I am the cub, Christian and I've always wondered about my real family. I know I have you and Sierra but what about my mother? I just . . . I just . . ."**

 **That's when I pulled her in again and kissed her forehead.**

 **I promised to myself that I'm going to do something about this. I'm going to find Ana her home.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **It wasn't a Sunday but Reverend Steele was in the church reading the New Testament (probably) and staring at nothing. He seemed to be lost in thought and I secretly hoped that he was punishing himself for all those years that Ana suffered. I hoped he wanted to kill himself because he let Carla hurt Ana so much to the point that she was a lost cub running as fast as she could.**

 **He was the preacher yet he didn't practice what he preached.**

 **He always told fathers to take care of their family but what did he do? I thought of myself letting Sierra have the same situation as Ana and I'd rather be dead if that were the case. I imagined myself slashing a knife through my daughter's skin and it made me want hurt somebody instantly. I couldn't hurt my daughter.**

 **There's no place where I can hurt my daughter.**

" **Reverend Steele?"**

 **He was startled and he almost fell from the chair.**

" **Christian, what are you doing here?"**

" **You owe Ana. You owe Ana a lot."**

 **He looked repentant.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **Raymond Steele was the son of the most wanted drug lord in New York. Ironically he fell in love with chief police's daughter, Sierra Watts. They embarked in a forbidden romance and it resulted to a baby. In a world filled with violence Raymond found hope, love, and warmth with his two girls but that was until his father shot Sierra through the chest.**

 **Ray ran away with Ana and for six months they found themselves in the state of Washington. Ray remembered being starving with a wailing baby and that was until Carla showed up. She was the religious daughter of a reverend and with their connections they protected Ana.**

 **Back in New York, the Steele's drug trading was put to a halt when an enraged Chief Officer Watts killed Ray's father in one of the most sought operations. That was five years ago and the police officer was now the mayor of the state.**

 **Five years. No one was haunting them for five years. I asked Ray, "Why did you stay with Carla for too long when you have no one to run away from?"**

" **Misery is addictive," he selfishly confirmed.**

 **While Ana was in school I carried Sierra while doing some research on the internet. Everything was true! I read articles about the Steele's drug business and how Raymond Steele's existence was forgotten as the issue had been solved. I saw Sierra's pictures and she was so beautiful. She looked like Ana—not much but mostly. She had a bright future until she fell in love with a guy coming from a messy background.**

 **They were worlds apart but what came out of it was my wife.**

 **I clicked and clicked all links Google gave me and there were his grandparents. Mr. Watts seemed uptight while his wife was smiling. It was confirmed that the two lived alone since they lost their one and only daughter. I felt a wave of emotions flow over me upon knowing that these were Ana's family and I found them for her!**

 **I kissed my baby girl over and over again, excited to inform that I was going to make her mother happy.**

 **Stumbling upon one website, my grin was wide as the Cheshire Cat's. I immediately knew how to reach out to them. I was looking at the headline and thanked God for this blessing.**

 **I phoned her with no hesitations.**

" **Carietta Pierce speaking," she opened the call.**

" **Cara, this is Christian. I am going to ask you one huge favour."**

 **~S.A.~**

" **Yes, we met a year ago when they remembered their daughter in her death anniversary. They are affiliates of my father. Trust me, Christian, they are very wonderful people! Mayor Watts is kind of cold but they are very nice! His wife is a ball of sunrise."**

 **Cara and I met in one of the school benches the following day and I was kind of disturbed by the worry written all over her face.**

" **Then what are you waiting for, Cara? Let's dial them now!"**

 **She was annoyingly hesitant, "Christian . . ."**

" **What's wrong, Cara?" I was so pumped up but she was ruining the mood.**

" **Christian, you have to understand that if you tell them about Ana then they are going to want to have her. She is going to be in New York. That is going to be inevitable. I know them and they are desperately seeking for their daughter. You have to weigh things first, Christian."**

 **I was being impulsive but I didn't care, "Dial them, Cara, please."**

 **She didn't listen, "Are you willing to go to New York with them?"**

 **I didn't answer. The plan was to be a successful businessman here in Seattle and give the best life for Ana and Sierra.**

 **She pressed another question, "What are you going to do if Ana decides to move there and brings your daughter with her?"**

" **No! Cara, no, that's never going to happen. Ana will never leave me. She loves me, Cara. Even though things aren't perfect I swear that she doesn't plan to leave me at all. We are still going to be complete despite everything. I am going to be with her and she is going to be with me. We are going to be together and that's sealed."**

 **Her look was sympathetic that it made me want to walk out. After a few moments she gave up and dialled her phone.**

 **While it was connecting Cara expressed, "It doesn't surprise me at all, you know. I always thought there was something special about Ana."**

 **I agreed with her.**

 **She put the phone on loud speaker, "Oh hello Sarah!"**

" **Good afternoon, Mrs. Watts! It's Cara."**

" **Oh Cara! I always thought your name is Sarah. How can I help?"**

" **Somebody needs to talk to you," she informed before handing me the phone.**

" **Hello Mrs. Watts? This is Christian Grey."**

" **Christian Gay?"**

" **Christian Grey," I repeated my name.**

" **Oh Grey! Sorry about that! You need to talk to me?"**

 **I took one last glance at Cara and she was still worried. I considered all the possibilities. What she said was true. Ana could be heading off to New York with the family she's been searching. There were possibilities of us being separated but I had faith in her. She's never going to leave me as she knew that it is I where she truly belonged.**

 **I will always put her first. She needed to know her home. She was the lost cub then I will bring her home.**

" **Mrs. Watts, I am your granddaughter's husband."**

 **A/N: Thank you for all the support you've given! You make my days exciting! Wow! 37 reviews last chapter! It exhilarates me! Thank you!**

 **What do you think of this chapter?**

 **Let me know.**

 **Thanks to those who say that I am talented. You don't know how it's boosting my (coming to existence) self-esteem. Thank you!**

 **Margo.**


	22. Part 2 Chapter 9

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Month 3 out of 6**

 **The aroma of the coffee mixed well with the air and it was a sign of a regular day. Ana and I were a pair of multitasking experts. We studied while eating breakfast while taking care of Sierra while trying to keep calm about another temporary babysitter. There were too many while's but we've gotten used to it. Life as teenage parents was never easy.**

 **Actually this day wasn't a normal one. I tried to be deadpan about this since I knew Ana's life was about to change in a few minutes. She's serving Sierra a spoon of baby food she despised. I guess my daughter will grow up to be a girl uneasy to handle.**

" **Is something bothering you, Christian?" my wife asked.**

 **I shook my head wordlessly. My vocabulary was drained out of all the excitement. I imagined a former couple flying all the way to Washington just to see their long lost granddaughter.**

 **There was a knock on the door and I didn't waste time answering it. I rushed and twisted the knob open. There stood a couple before me with a dozen of bodyguards behind them. Both looked diplomatic as they wore very formal clothing.**

" **Are you Christian Gay?" the woman asked kindly.**

" **I'm Christian Grey," I emphasized my last name. Unlike the woman the man was stoic. He eyed our home judgmentally. I was not ashamed though. We lived in a modest cottage-like house. It may not be like his mansion but at least we're living decently. I instantly didn't like the man.**

" **Christian, who's it?" Ana asked from behind and there was an audible gasp coming from Mrs. Watts. She instantly cried as she practically ran to Ana and hugged her so tight that I was worried about Sierra who was trapped in between them. I went to them to grab Sierra from Ana's arms and kissed her cheeks.**

 **Ana tried to break away from the tight embrace but Mrs. Watts kissed her over and over.**

" **Who are you?"**

 **I revealed, "These are your grandparents, Ana. Sierra Watts' mother and father. Mayor Watts and his first lady."**

 **For a brief moment Ana's world paused. I was immediately grateful that I took Sierra from her since she would've dropped our baby on the floor by now. Ana's tears rolled over and over and she hugged her grandmother back.**

" **How did you find me?"**

" **Your husband found us, dear. He found us!" Mrs. Watts exclaimed mirroring my wife's wet eyes.**

 **Back at the door, Mayor Watts still acted like a statue that seemed to contain no emotions at all. I gave him a warm smile before introducing him his great granddaughter.**

" **Mayor, this is my daughter. Her name is Sierra Grey."**

 **As if my daughter knew what was going on she gave him a one-toothed grin and then I saw him broke down. He was in tears. The old man rushed by my side to get Sierra and cradled her over and over. To be honest, the atmosphere was too emotional that I found myself feeling the same.**

 **He cradled my daughter as if she were his own—as if she was the Sierra he lost eighteen years ago.**

 **It didn't take long before Mayor Watts joined in the hug and I saw Ana look at me with a grateful smile.**

" **Thank you," she mouthed.**

" **I love you," I mouthed in response.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **We decided not to go to school. This was a moment that could be treasured more than those brief lectures.**

 **I cannot believe myself. Not a year ago, I wasn't the kind of guy who would skip a single session in the classroom. All I cared about was getting high grades since I thought it would define my existence. But now? This was the meaning of my life. Family. It's the meaning of life.**

 **We were in the living room with Mrs. Watts sharing her energetic soul. She seemed to be the exact opposite of the mayor since he was silently gazing at my wife and our daughter who was placed on her lap. I could tell, from father to father, that a hole inside him was filled.**

" **Christian, you are really handsome! You remind me of James Dean!"**

" **Huh? Oh, thanks." I didn't see the resemblance but I appreciated it.**

 **She was really noisy!**

" **I think that the two of you got married because of the baby. You are nineteen years old—"she points at me then at Ana, "—and you are eighteen years old! Sierra came too early, didn't she? Oh boy! She's a wonder though so no regrets there."**

" **Yes, no regrets," I agreed and Ana stayed quiet kissing our daughter's cheek. She was still lost in the moment she never thought would come.**

" **Christian, I have tips for you for a better future! You could seriously build a luxurious life for my granddaughter and great granddaughter. I see so much potential in you, handsome man. You will have a bright future. Believe me and listen well to my tip!"**

" **Oh thanks, Mrs. Watts. What's your tip?" I braced myself. This was the first lady I'm talking to and I read of her notable works.**

" **Read your daily horoscope, it seriously helps!" She answered seriously while flipping her grey hair.**

 **I really didn't believe in that but I replied, "Oh sure, I will."**

 **From my peripheral view Ana was silently giggling to herself.**

 **Mrs. Watts became clingy as she rested her head against my shoulder. I wasn't disgusted by it. This was just her personality. I saw a photo of her hugging a random stranger from Google Images and upon visiting the page she said, "I just needed a hug. What's wrong with that?"**

" **Can you do me a favour, Christian?"**

" **What's the favour, Mrs. Watts?"**

" **Follow me on twitter, please."**

" **Huh?"**

" **My name's FirstLadyCrazyGirl1954 and you should check out my latest tweet! You should click the heart and retweet it so your followers will see it as well."**

" **What's your latest tweet?" I pretended to be interested.**

" **It's about my husband's bad joke! He said if New York is not new then it's called Old York. L-O-L! It's not funny!"**

 **Mayor Watts finally broke his silence when he saved himself, "Honey, I thought of that joke for three long months! Come on! Give me a break!"**

" **No, Hon! Nu-uh!"**

" **Hon, this is much worse than you posting a video of me dancing in a Nicki Minaj concert!"**

 **Wait, that was him? Whoa! He looked so different now. I remembered seeing that video and he was wearing a shirt with SWAG printed on it. He wasn't the mayor yet.**

 **He playfully pinched her sides in response and she giggled like a teenager. I glanced at Ana and she smiled sincerely at the sight of her grandparents. There was warmth beyond the loss they've encountered. If only Ana grew up with them then it would have been totally different.**

 **While my wife gazed at them, I gazed at her hoping that even though we reach grey old we'd still be madly in love with each other.**

 **Mayor Watts cleared his throat and went back to his stoic self, "Christian, may we have a moment with our granddaughter?"**

 **I agreed grabbing Sierra, leaving the three in the living room.**

 **I've achieved so much in my life but no victory ever compared to this one.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **After tucking Sierra in, I came to our room and lied down the bed. It had been a long day but a satisfying one. The Watts left at nearly six in the evening and Mrs. Watts decided to stay here in Seattle. She's in a hotel and she'll come here for babysitting purposes. Well, at least we had no problem with finding someone trustworthy to take care of Sierra.**

 **Ana must be writing another story since she wasn't here by my side.**

 **I immediately thought of the possibility of her leaving me and shook those thoughts away. Ana may be cautious but she still loves me, I can feel it. She will never leave me. We will be a happy family.**

 **Speaking of Ana, she stood by the door with that look on her face. I didn't understand her expression since she rarely wore it. There was a myriad of emotions in her eyes and one of them was love. I gave her a smile when she slowly ambled her way towards our bed to sit down next to my lying form.**

" **Ana, I am so happy that—"**

 **She crashed her lips to mine in a blink of an eye interrupting what I was about to say. Our lips moved together in synchrony. I cupped both of her cheeks and she opened her mouth making an entrance for my tongue to enter. Our tongues swirled together and our teeth clashed. We were kissing torridly.**

 **I pulled away only to breathe but my lips left a trail of slow wet kisses down her neck. She whimpered in response and that set an effect on me. I sucked the spot right where her neck and shoulders met and I felt her grip both my sides.**

 **My hands reached underneath her shirt and they found a way to her breasts. I squeezed them lightly and she that's when she moaned. Upon hearing the sound I kissed her lips again and this time it was harder.**

 **Our clothes were thrown everywhere in the room.**

 **I laid her down the bed and I opened her legs wide for me. I saw her pussy shimmering and it turned me on knowing that it's just for me. She moaned out loud when my tongue slid slowly across her clit. Then I was sucking then twirling my tongue inside her. Suck and Swirl. Suck and Swirl. She grabbed my hair when it got too intense.**

 **I was going to make it feel better for her.**

 **My hands reached out for her breasts and while I was feeling the taste of her, I played with her nipples. Her high volume moans turned higher.**

 **It wasn't enough.**

 **My right hand continued with her breast, my tongue lapped her juices over and over, and this time two of my fingers joined in. She was at the edge. The higher volume of moans was at its highest. She came undone and we were panting.**

 **I placed myself on top of her. We were face to face, eye to eye. Grey storm against the blue sea, perfectly colliding in a hurricane moment.**

" **I love you," I declared before I pushed my way into her.**

 **I grunted out of pleasure. I thrusted in and out over and over again. It wasn't hard and it wasn't slow either. It was the right amount of love. I held her tight against me while I continued pushing into her. I pushed again and again and she was feeling it with me as well.**

 **Wanting to see her, I pressed my forehead against hers and our mouths were open volleying the small amount of air between us.**

 **She came first and I followed a minute later.**

 **I pulled out of her and lied to her right side. I held her close to me and I clung into her like she was the last source of oxygen in this world. I felt like a helpless child. I was at my most vulnerable. Basking in the afterglow of our sensations, her fingers formed imaginary lines on my back while my ears were pressed against her chest, hearing every beat of her heart.**

 **I looked up I saw that I just made a hickey on that spot I sucked not a while ago.**

 **I leaned in with the intention to kiss but my lips met hers instead.**

 **Then I was back inside her.**

 **I was back to feeling whole.**

 **Author's Note: Yes, things are working out fine but we're just halfway there. There is more to come in this story.**

 **What do you think of this chapter? Thoughts about Mr. and Mrs. Watts? Thoughts about the sex scene?**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Reviews, please.**

 **Margo.**


	23. Part 2 Chapter 10

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Month 3 out of 6**

" **Mmm, Christian . . ." Ana sensually whispered in between the moments when our lips part. Since we did it the first time last week we've been going at it every day. I swear I do get tired but something about making love to Ana made me insatiable. We've also became careful since a second child wasn't part of the plan.**

 **I held her by the waist as I plunged my tongue into her mouth. We tasted each other with the presence of moans and grunts. We were in nirvana.**

 **It wasn't ideal to do this since Mrs. Watts was downstairs taking good care of Sierra. She stayed in a fancy hotel, of course but she came here when we needed her. To be honest, she acts so crazy but she's a very good person. You could see that she missed taking care of someone. She loved Sierra so much that it made my heart soar. I didn't know how long she's going to stay in Washington but I didn't care. We could have her forever. Oh, and she insisted we call her by her first name, Becky.**

 **We were about to go to class, but I couldn't resist this woman. It turned me on even more knowing that she's my wife and the mother of my child. She's all mine. Forever.**

 **I broke off our kiss only to create trail of kisses descending her neck, the valley between her breasts, her belly and I paused to trace the stretch marks lovingly. I kiss them over and over, as they marked the seven months she carried Sierra.**

 **I almost reached her center but she stopped me by lifting my chin tenderly. She led me into a standing position before she knelt before me. She unbuckled my belt and unzipped my slacks, pulled them down until they've reached my ankles. She did the same with my boxers and there she faced my hardness.**

 **Before she took it fully I asked her knowing she never did this before, "Are you sure?"**

 **She nodded with a blush, "I am not sure how to do it but I will try."**

 **I nodded and carefully guided her as she took my cock inside her wet mouth. I guided her head as I thrusted in and out of her. I was losing it too early. Fuck! I used my other hand to take a hold of the wall. My knees were wobbling. She was too warm and I loved the attention she was giving.**

 **Noises of pleasure were heard all over our room. Her pace hastened and it drove me wild. Just when I was at the edge of coming:**

" **Ana, Christian, where do you keep your knives? OH MY GOODNESS!"**

 **Ana quickly stood up and I covered my manhood. We screamed and with a very pale face, she slammed the door shut.**

" **I didn't lock the door. I am so sorry, Christian." Ana said while kissing my cheek softly.**

" **It's okay," I sounded awful. I was left with a hard problem. Why did Mrs. Watts have to interrupt us?**

 **~S.A.~**

 **When Ana and I went downstairs, we appeared like nothing happened. We were back to being teenagers who'll be going to school. However, Mrs. Watts was sitting on the couch while Sierra was crawling on the soft mat placed in the center of the room. She wore a zumba attire and it was the exact attire Sierra had.**

 **Everything was the same! From the headband to the shoes, Mrs. Watts and Sierra were "twinning". That's what she called it. I swear Mrs. Watts turned me into this social media freak. She felt betrayed when I revealed that I didn't have a Twitter account. I made one for her and she criticized how boring christiangrey was a username.**

 **She changed it to hotdaddy1997 and Ana laughed while I cringed. It's not a big deal, really.**

" **Uhm . . . Mrs. Wat—Becky, we're going now."**

" **Yes Gran, we're going. We'll be back by four."**

 **The two of us were more than ready to exit her presence.**

 **She shook her head, "Look at the two of you! You seem like you're saying goodbye to a dictator. Christian and Ana, whatever I saw was something not new, okay? I am not a typical woman. I am very cool!"**

 **Somehow it was still awkward. The two of us really needed to leave.**

 **It didn't help when she offered, "Ana, you know what? Before I did it with your grandpa, I did extensive research. I bought a book named "How to Make Him Stay the Night" and I could lend it to you. Your grandfather really loved it when—"**

" **GRANDMA! STOP! OKAY, STOP!" Ana was just as mortified as I was while Mrs. Watts just shrugged.**

 **We decided to ignore her then.**

 **The two of us can't leave the house without giving our baby daughter a goodbye kiss. Ana grabbed her and said goodbye. We kissed our little girl and she uttered, "Mama!"**

 **The entire house was silent.**

" **Mama!"**

 **Oh my goodness! My daughter! She spoke it! She finally said her first word! We were being emotional. Ana, especially. We kissed our daughter as many times as she said 'Mama'. She was sandwiched between us wrapped with love.**

 **Mrs. Watts took a photo and she was crying with us.**

" **Mama loves you so much, Sierra." I heard Ana say to our little butterfly.**

 **Damn! I fell in love deeper.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **The day ended and on the ninetieth day I was waiting in front of the school with a rose at hand. It will go on this way forever. Well, this time though I had four bags of groceries with me. Mrs. Watts stopped me from working as I needed to focus more on school. She and Mr. Mayor genuinely help us financially. The fridge was full and never once she credited herself for it.**

 **We didn't felt indebted. It all came so natural. Like family.**

 **Ana carried a lot of literatures too, for her writings I assume.**

 **She gave me a peck as we said hello. She tried to hold the rose while we walked but I could see that it was becoming so difficult and inconvenient for her.**

 **We paused our walk before I placed the bags of groceries on the ground for a brief moment and tucked the rose in her right ear. She looked so much more beautiful. Well, there's never a day I thought she wasn't.**

" **Why roses? Is it because of my middle name?"**

 **I shook my head and explained, "Roses existed since the ancient days and the oldest living rose in the world is 1,000 years old and is found in a cathedral in Germany. I just thought if there was a life before—if I lived in the ancient times, I lived with you."**

 **She was aghast of my reason.**

 **I earned another kiss from her. That's one thing I've learned from her. The most priceless thing in life is when you get a kiss that you deserved.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **There were twelve bodyguards in front of our house and I never understood why Mrs. Watts needed a dozen of them. Couldn't she have just one?**

 **Anyway Ana and I have gotten used to it. However, things were not the same. Ana and I were breathless as we saw Mrs. Watts face-to-face with Reverend Steele and Carla. We quickly rushed since she wasn't looking very happy.**

 **As we reached them in the front porch I grabbed Sierra quickly from Mrs. Watts' arms protecting her from her grandparents. The weirdest thing was that Carla brought a round chocolate cake and it read, "Welcome Mrs. Watts!" On the other hand, Ray looked very nervous like he was about to pass out. I was surprised Mrs. Watts didn't lash out on him. She lost her daughter of him and somehow she remained calm.**

" **What are you doing here?" Ana asked in an intimidating voice.**

" **Ana, my dear daughter, we just came here to give our new family member a visit!"**

" **Excuse me?" Mrs. Watts looked insulted.**

" **You know what, Mrs. Watts, I have been taking care of Ana her whole life! Gosh! I was so mad at my husband yesterday because she never told me that Ana's maternal grandparents are the Mr. and Mrs. Watts of New York! I mean I could have prepared more food for you!"**

" **And you could have treated me nicely?" Carla flinched at Ana's words.**

" **Young lady, since when did I act cruelly at you? Right, Ray?"**

 **Just like all those times he disappointed me, "Right, Carla." He sounded like a robot.**

 **Mrs. Watts laughed evilly for a whole minute and Carla looked flustered.**

" **You got scared, right? I got that laugh from Disney! Anyway, Carla you don't have to give me a cake and you don't have to lie! I know everything you did to my granddaughter! Stop acting like an angel when all you have is a devil's horns!"**

 **Carla's fake personality diminished as she shot another look at Ana, "What sort of lies have you told Mrs. Watts? What?"**

" **Lies? I was only telling the truth, Carla."**

 **She rolled her eyes and said, "You've always been a liar and—"**

 **SMACK! Her right cheek had a mark as Mrs. Watts didn't waste a minute slapping her.**

" **Nobody talks to my granddaughter that way! Nobody! Especially not a woman who looks like one of those zombies from The Walking Dead!"**

" **Excuse me?" Carla was about to hit her back and the twelve bodyguards grew alert.**

 **However, Mrs. Watts proved her agility as she snatched the cake away from Carla's grasped and pressed it to her face. Ana and I couldn't contain our laughter. She looked like she just had the biggest insult of her life. There she was in a state of shock, face colored in brown, and mouth opened so wide.**

 **Snap!**

 **Mrs. Watts took a photo and exclaimed, "Tweeted!" She added, "Guards, get them out of my sight!"**

" **You will pay for this! Nobody treats me this way! You will. . ." Carla continuously ranted while she was being dragged like a prisoner. Ray, on the other hand, was as good as dead. He didn't ever fight back. It seemed like guilt ate him up.**

 **When they weren't around anymore, I witnessed the tender moment when Mrs. Watts kissed Ana as if she were Sierra's age and assured, "No one's going to hurt you."**

 **Later that day we found out that Mr. Mayor ordered a restraining order, meaning Ray and Carla are not allowed to go near us ever, and since he had powerhouse lawyers it will be granted as soon as possible.**

 **Ana and I were lost in laughter when the photo Mrs. Watts tweeted became an internet sensation. Carla's defeated look with chocolate cake became a meme and she was called "The Poop-Faced Lady".**

 **Something told me that they're not going to bother us anymore.**

 **Author's Note: What do you think of this chapter? Grandma is kind of a comic relief just to put a lighter side in the story.**

 **Review please?**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate it!**

 **Margo.**


	24. Part 2 Chapter 11

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Month 4 out of 6**

 _I did like children's stories when I was a little girl but I liked the dictionary even more. It fascinated me how twenty six letters could group themselves together to form millions of meanings. At the age of seven, I used the words 'ubiquitous', 'philanthropic', and 'soliloquy' and every day my favourite word changes._

 _That's until Sierra spoke "Mama" and nothing could replace that word in my most favourite list._

 _It was four o'clock when grandma was watching a Jennifer Lopez dancing video and copying it. She was ready for it because she got this nude colored suit with glitters the same exact one from "On the Floor" music video. My daughter was fascinated by the beat and rhythm and it looked really cute when she wore the exact clothing._

 _I don't know how Gran did it but she's just awesome._

 _Focusing on the view outside the window, two birds were flirting with each other: one trying to be demure from the other. I was forming stories again. What if the bird fell into the curse of its suitor and he turned out to be a shape shifter? He was a huge monster who ate birds to maintain his eternal life._

 _I shook my head at that and tried to get out of touch with my imagination._

 _To be honest, my life turned completely upside down out of nowhere and it was bizarre. I was beyond grateful since I almost forgotten that I was that girl people used to bully. I turned out to be a granddaughter of New York's first family. I pressed my chin on my palm as I contemplated about my life. Everything changed for the better and it will soon be for the best._

 _My relationship with Christian blossomed. I know he loves me, I believe he does. With all the things he did, it's hard not to believe. His college announced that businessman is willing to sponsor a capital for a business and Christian's readying his presentation so that's why he's asking us not to disturb him upstairs as he's concentrating to have $500,000. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity._

 _He never failed to wait for me every day and hand me the red rose._

 _Christian was never the man of imagination but he must have pictured us together in the 1800's and him courting me with a rose. If he thought of that then his feelings for me are deep._

 _He loves me-he loves a writer, and a writer is full of what if's._

 _What Christian didn't know was that in the drawer of my untidy table was a divorce paper I already signed._

 _He loves me. Now. What if one day he'll wake up and realize this is not the life he wants? What if it will all fade away when I've already fell too deep? What if something inside him lit up and realize it was Cara all along? What if he'll stop loving me? He can change from this cold guy who asked to abort our baby to this dedicated father, and he can definitely change from a dedicated father to a regretful one._

 _The thought of letting him go killed me but it killed me even more knowing that he'll hate every single day with me since I ruined all of his dreams._

 _I thought back to the talk I've had with my grandparents last month:_

Christian stepped out of the room as soon as Mr. Mayor or my grandfather asked him to have a private talk with me.

There I was all alone with two strangers. These two new faces I've never seen before but they've felt so much more of a family compared to the ones I've grown up with. They were very emotional as they couldn't seem to let go of me.

"You remind me so much of my daughter! Oh my goodness!" Gran was back to crying and she kissed me over and over.

It didn't take long before grandfather sat beside me and kissed me the way a father kissed a daughter who was gone for too long. It never felt like this before. I've never felt like anyone else's home. I always thought that I was the lost one. The truth was they're lost too. I kissed both of their foreheads; beyond grateful they're here with me.

We spent hours catching up. Grandma's completely nuts. I don't know but she didn't seem to have a serious bone in her body. She was all about jokes and she acts like a teenager. She seems to talk about Twitter a lot. She's addicted to it and she memorizes all the one hundred celebrities and politicians she's following. She's proud to tell me that she has two million followers.

When she got tired of talking (which is a miracle), Grandpa reminisced my mother and she told me so much about her. He told me how she was a writer and most of the stories she wrote were fantasies. Well, that explained it.

He didn't talk about Dad and I didn't want to bring him up as well.

Gran cleared her throat and asked sweetly, "Come with us to New York, Sweetie. You can live there with your husband and our great granddaughter."

I held both of their hands and thought of how amazing this was. Christian did the magical. He found what I was searching for my whole life. He did it in the right time and the right place. However, some wounds are not just wounds; they're scars that haunt you forever.

"Are you coming to New York?" Grandpa sounded hopeful.

I made my decision, "Yes, only Sierra and I."

Grandma stood up looking all betrayed. She shook her head again and again, "What?! Why?! Ana, why?!"

I gave her a sad smile and tears streamed down my face, "We're divorcing."

"Why?" This time she sounded more devastated.

"The truth is this marriage is not our choice at all. We were teenagers who slept together and . . ." I told them the whole story of how much I loved him despite everything. I told them how I've always loved him even the cracks in his bones. I told them how he treated me when Sierra was in my womb. I told them how he confessed his thing with Cara. I told them how he broke my heart. I told them how Sierra came too early because of the stress he caused.

I told them everything and it made them lonely as well.

Despite the explanation Grandma asked, "You still love him, right?"

"I do but it will always be in fractions. There will always be a part of me that will doubt him and I don't think that's fair."

She shook her head, "I can't believe this!"

I didn't say anything.

We agreed not to speak about this to Christian. In three months' time, I'll graduate high school then Sierra and I will move to New York and live a life Christian didn't dream of. It's a win-win situation. Not only that Christian gets to live his dream but he's always going to be in touch with our daughter.

That night I promised myself to make the most of the remaining months since they were last days of forever. I made love to Christian as if there was no tomorrow.

That night when we fell asleep after four rounds of sex, his body was pressed atop of mine completely surrounding me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered in his ear. I was too much of a coward to say it when he's awake.

" _Earth to Ana? Hello? Dear?" I snapped out of my thoughts when Grandma called my attention. She sat right next to me with Sierra on her lap chewing one of her toys._

" _Yes, Gran?" I sounded as if I wanted to cry._

 _She gave me a sympathetic smile before saying, "You know what he's doing upstairs? He's getting that chance just to achieve his dreams for you as a family. Are you still going to leave him?"_

 _I was firm with my decision, "Yes, I am."_

" _You know I cannot judge since I wasn't here when you were pregnant, but it's all in the past, right?"_

 _What grandma didn't understand was that scars could define where you're going. I didn't speak a word. She'll never get it._

" _What's bothering you, Ana? What makes you want to leave him? You know what, I am sure he's willing to go anywhere as long as it's with you and Sierra."_

" _Gran, he'll show it now but knowing him, it won't be forever. One day he'll regret living a domestic life since he dreamed to live in a metropolitan place. One day he'll blame us. Things change, Gran. People do too."_

 _She gave me a sad smile before pressing her hands around mine and encouraged, "Just think about it. Not just for you but for him and especially for your daughter."_

 _I gave her a soft smile before returning my gaze to the view outside the window. Gone was the flirting bird and the shy bird was left alone. She looked lonely almost like she regretted not taking the risk. It could either be that she regretted if forever since she lost a potential lover or that she was grateful since she's saved from a monster._

 _My thoughts were interrupted when my phone rang._

 _I checked and it's a new tweet coming from Gran and this time she tagged me._

 _The tweet read:_ That's when you know for sure somebody loves you. They figure out what you need and they give it to you - without you asking" - Adriana Trigiani, Very Valentine.

 **Author's Note: Gran may be a joke sometimes but she sure does have a lot of sense too. So for Ana, what do you say? To leave or not to leave?**

 **Thanks for the amazing reviews I've received last chapter.**

 **Please do tell me what you think about this.**

 **Thanks!**

 **Margo.**


	25. Part 2 Chapter 12

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Month 5 out of 6**

Seraphic Accident

by Anastasia Rose Steele-Grey

Two islands both alike in dignity in the endless blue fabric of oceans where we lay our scene, lived a man and a woman who met by accident.

They were sailing across the sea when the angry waves tossed his canoe and she, a gifted swimmer dived in to save him. She brought him to the shore and that's when she knew she fell in love: when he lit up the sun and not the other way around. He was hazy, his eyesight in blur. He wasn't himself but she loved him and loved him too deep.

He woke the next day clueless of where he was. He met his savior but quickly hated her when he saw he was in the other island. He swore to kill her if she ever showed her love again, so she let him go giving up her canoe.

He came back to his island and lived peacefully for years. He was the lover of the light as darkness never followed him. Five whole years he lived as the mightiest. They deemed him, "The survivor who conquered the angry waves." No one ever survived the ocean and he refused to admit that he was saved by another woman from the neighboring island.

Everything changed when she arrived with a baby girl. She was half of both islands but heaven in whole. The man threatened to kill them both but when he saw the baby's face, he felt as though all the angels gathered to sing in her snore. She was nirvana and he fell to his knees and loved her.

They lived as a family for five years, but people wanted to destroy them. One night they found the three sleeping. They killed the man first, the woman next. With so much fright, the little girl ran and ran with too many people following her.

She saw a canoe and the waves helped her travel to the other island.

Little girl expected to be saved but faced the different faces but same angry expression wanting to kill her as well. There she was stranded in between; the ocean where the two islands separated. The waves were moving with her and she understood that it was never an accident at all.

Her father and mother were destined to meet.

She asked the waves to take her and they launched her deep. The earth shook because after she descended to the water, came the rising of another island. The inhabitants of the island saw the miracle and were flabbergasted. That's when the wave reached its highest peak commanding each island to befriend each other.

A hundred years later in the aerial view. The two islands were shaped like angel's wings and the space that used to be in water—the space where the little girl disappeared was in a shape of her body connecting both wings.

It looked like an angel when gazed at from above.

The waves did it and it was never an accident. If it was, then it's seraphic. The two islands are forever connected.

" **Oh my goodness! Christian, this is a masterpiece. Everyone should read this. Ana has a beautiful mind! My goodness! What an imagination she possesses!" Cara can't get over the story Ana wrote. It's just one of her most beautiful thoughts but it's the latest one that got published in the school paper.**

 **She deserved more than campus-worthy.**

 **That's why Cara and I were in the Seattle's Latest using one of her connections so that my wife's work will be featured in the literary page. Not only do the students will read it but the whole state. She's going to love this surprise of mine.**

" **Wow! I am lost for words," If Cara's a perfectionist and she really loved the story then surely most people will have the same reaction as well.**

 **We've entered the office and the smell of paper filled the air. Everybody was busy and if Cara weren't here then I'm sure they're not going to entertain me at all. We walked side by side at fast pace to the desk of the literary editor.**

" **Good morning, are you Miss Leila Williams?"**

 **She raised her head to see our faces and when she looked at me, I felt rather uncomfortable. She eyed me from head to toe and I swore she licked her lips. I wanted to go out now but if did, then this work would not be published.**

 **The brunette lady in well-ironed clothes stood up and said, "Yes, I am Leila Williams." She tried to sound seductive but she sounded more like a goat. She was twirling her hair with her fingers and I felt Cara got disturbed. She maintained professionalism though.**

" **I am Carietta Pierce. Did Mr. King, the editor-in-chief inform you about the literary work we're going to pass?"**

" **Yes, I am well aware of it," she was still looking at me.**

" **This is Christian Grey and his WIFE made a great story and we thought it's worth the read," she emphasized 'wife' and I thanked her for it.**

 **Leila was unstoppable despite that big word. "Where's the paper?" She asked me with sultry eyes.**

" **Here you go," I handed her the paper and she rubbed her hands against mine sensually before she received it.**

 **Cara went ballistic, "Excuse me? Don't you know the meaning of wife? Do you see the wedding ring he's wearing? Didn't you feel it when you touched his hand?!"**

 **Leila turned to her and asked, "What's the deal with you, woman? Are you his wife?"**

" **No! But from one woman to another, you're degrading yourself. Most of all, you're being unprofessional so I am going to report this—"**

" **Cara, stop. Let's just go, okay? Thanks, Leila." I didn't give her the chance to respond as I grabbed both Cara's shoulders and dragged her outside the office. If we're going to cause a scene then there's a chance this story won't be published. It's not like I'm going to see her again. Some people are not worth it to lose your shit over.**

 **Cara ranted and ranted about how Ana would have felt by Leila's behaviour, but I just laughed to myself. Not only did I have a loving family (including Becky) but I also have a very loyal friend.**

 **~S.A.~**

 _My phone has been ringing like crazy! There are ten missed calls from different unnamed contacts and I was too scared to answer them. I've never been the most sociable so I'm not very fearless when it came to people. However, it kept me from writing. It kept on buzzing and even if I turn it silent it would light up and my whole concentration on writing would be interrupted._

 _I decided to answer, "Hello? Who's this?"_

" _Is this Anastasia Rose Steele-Grey?"_

" _Yes?" Okay, this woman seemed elated to talk to me._

" _We read your story and we want to publish it along with others. Please tell me you wrote other stories as well. By the way, this is American Eagle Publishing House."_

 _Huh? What?! American Eagle? What? I literally dropped my phone on the ground. I couldn't breathe. My story to be read in the whole wide world? Oh. My. Goodness. I was breathless._

" _Can't breathe, Anastasia?" It was Professor Sawyer standing by the door with a newspaper at hand._

 _I haven't replied so he moved closer and showed me one page from the paper and there it was! Seraphic Accident! It's published and many have read it._

" _Oh my goodness!" I had to pinch myself._

 _Professor Sawyer revealed, "I did this for you."_

" _Huh?"_

" _Yes, Ana. I talked to Seattle's Latest just to have this published. I've always known you're a force to be reckoned with."_

 _He reached out to take a hold of my hand but I quickly took a step back, "Thank you."_

 _That's all I said. I could never return his feelings but that didn't mean I was ungrateful._

 _Professor Luke Sawyer just changed the course of my life._

 **Author's Note: I know you're not going to like this but yes, Sawyer lied. Spoiler: No Sawyer/Ana pairing will happen in this story.**

 **Thanks for the reviews. Thanks for the follows. Thanks for the favorites. Thanks for all the attention.**

 **What are your thoughts?**

 **Margo.**


	26. Part 2 Chapter 13

**Author's Note down there.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Month 5 out of 6**

 **The best thing about surprises is the reaction. This was the big moment where Ana would jump on me and exclaim how happy I made her feel.**

 **Most of my classmates read the paper and they were extremely impressed with my wife. I, on the other hand, smiled cockily very confident and evidently proud that I'm her husband and no one else. I used to be the man who wanted the entirety of the world. My definition of happiness was superficial.**

 **I used to get angry when I noticed other people getting ahead of me. I was mad because I knew I was the best. Well, my definition of best wasn't the same back then. The "best" right now is being the man my wife and child needed.**

 **Love, I realized in any form can change you.**

 **There's this love of God when people repent for their sins and start anew. Love of self where you refuse anybody to drag you down. Love of family where you felt the sense of belongingness. For me, it was the love of my girls: my daughter and my wife.**

 **From all the negative "use-to-be's", I've grown to a better man because of them.**

 **I checked my wrist watch and my feet were tapping the ground. Any minute by now she'll be here and she'll see me with a rose. She didn't know but the roses were every day for her. I couldn't imagine a day without the roses. It's like a day without Ana. I sounded crazy and it didn't make sense. But isn't that love? Making sense when there's no sense at all?**

 **She stepped out of the school building and it's like the sun came out of nowhere. She was beaming and my heart rate increased. The wind blew her hair and I had the urge to run through them.**

 **Out of all the things Ana doesn't know, after we make love I'd rake my fingers through her hair and I'll notice her smile in her dreams. That was when I realized her smile made the half-moon full again. She's a lot of things and she doesn't even know.**

 **She ran and ran until she hugged me so close I couldn't even breathe. She was kissing me over and over again and I was more than happy to accept them. I was working so hard every day for us to be officially okay and hold on to this marriage. I hope this was enough for her to know that it'll always be this way.**

" **Christian, you wouldn't believe it! National publishers want my stories!"**

 **It was like fireworks exploded to signal a celebration. Before I knew it, I was jumping with her. I intended her work to be published so that others can read but it went better. This could be the start of her career as an author.**

" **I am so thankful for Professor Luke Sawyer. He was the one who presented the story to Seattle's Latest."**

 **Then that ruined everything.**

 **The two sentences she spoke were more than enough to cause a paragraph of anger. I pulled away from embracing her and I just saw the color red. My hands formed into fists. How dare he? How fucking dare he?**

" **Ana, I was the one who gave it to the newspaper."**

 **She looked a little disturbed, "What? Christian, why are you saying that? If you are thinking that I will start liking Luke because of this then you have to stop that. I won't be with him even if he just made my dreams come true."**

 **I shook my head again and again and begged her to listen, "Ana, you have to listen, okay? You have to listen to me because I submitted that story to them and not that fucking guy!"**

" **Christian, can you keep your voice down?"**

" **LISTEN TO ME! I WAS THE ONE WHO DID IT!" I screamed on top of my lungs and Ana looked so scared. Well, she couldn't blame me because I was the one discredited here.**

 **She sighed frustratingly and coldly said, "Let's go home."**

" **No, Ana, we're not coming home unless you believe me. We could go to the office today and they will let you know that it was me!"**

 **I hated feeling this way. This reminded me of the traumatic time when my father claimed I was the one who broke his glasses. I told him how I didn't have anything to do with it but he hit me ten times with his belt. I was only six.**

 **I felt powerless right now.**

" **Excuse me, is something wrong here?"**

 **That nerve of this devil! It was Luke fucking Sawyer looking oh so concerned.**

 **I couldn't control myself anymore. I threw him my strongest punch and that set him down the ground. I was kicking his body and I didn't care when a crowd of students were surrounding us.**

" **You asshole, take back what you said! Take back! I was the one who submitted it and not you! Take. It. Back." I exaggerated between the kicks and the punches and it didn't take long before huge high school boys held me and he finally stood up.**

" **Mr. Grey, I was the one who submitted it, okay? As the moderator of Mosaic, I saw the talent of my writer and why not give her the opportunity to be featured when I have connections there? I am her moderator and you are just the husband!"**

" **FUCK YOU!" I was losing it. I was seriously losing it.**

" **Christian? Let's go home," Ana's icy voice stopped my screams.**

 **She didn't wait for my response as she started walking home. The crack got wider in my heart when I noticed she didn't take the rose with her.**

 **~S.A.~**

 _The school was a giant newspaper and my name was in every headline. Everyone's talking about my secret affair with Professor Sawyer that got Christian mad yesterday. They also had these stories saying how we were so broke that we borrowed money from him and that started the row._

 _Then there I was again back in the place I never wanted to come back to._

 _I was the old Ana once more hated by everyone, infested with rumors, and secretly murdered in everyone's dreams. I looked around and it was a whirlwind of persecution. Although I was excited about the offers for my stories, it couldn't cloud the sudden wave of depression that consumed me just now._

 _I was back at it and I needed to go away._

 _In the middle of the teacher's lesson, I walked out of the room. He screamed my name in the empty hallway demanding me to come back but I didn't listen. I needed some space. I needed to know the truth. Surely, Christian wouldn't go angry if he weren't telling the truth. It just occurred to me that maybe I should give him a chance._

 _Another part of me screamed that trusting him would be a huge mistake. I ignored the scream._

 _I came out of school and he wasn't there waiting on the bench. It tugged my heart but I expected it. We didn't speak the whole night and he chose to sleep in Sierra's nursery room._

 _But when I came near to the bench, I noticed a fresh rose. I grabbed it and held it close to my chest. My eyes roamed all over the place searching to where he was but he wasn't there. Maybe he was too mad but he still gave me my rose._

 _That's when I decided to take the bus to Seattle's Latest office. I smelled the roses upon sitting beside an old lady. She was humming "Unchained Melody" and I thought of how ironic it was. I prayed to God that we will be fine. That's when I made an ultimatum. If he's telling the truth then I'll rip the divorce paper in pieces but if he's not then I don't have a choice but leave._

 _If he lied to me today then he'd lie forever._

" _That's a beautiful rose, Sweetie. My husband used to give me one when he was still here. When a man gives a rose then he really loves you," she gushed._

 _All I can do was smile._

 _I arrived in their office and everybody seemed friendly after they knew my name. They exclaimed how that certain issue of the paper was a hot topic because of my story. They told me that I've brought them pride. I told them a lot of thank you's before I asked, "Who do they submit my story to?"_

" _That would be Miss Leila Williams, editor of the literary page."_

 _He taught me the directions to her desk and it didn't take long for me to find her. She was chewing a gum while tapping the pen against the paper. It looked like blood right now since she corrected errors on the writing._

" _Miss Williams?"_

 _She faced me and responded, "Yes?"_

" _I am Anastasia Rose Grey, the author of Seraphic Accident."_

" _Nice to meet you," she said not sounding friendly at all._

" _Likewise. I just need to ask you something," I began and it pissed me off that her attention was brought back to the paper she was editing. Not that I was feeling important but she lacked delight upon meeting me. As the literary editor, she treated me like nobody._

" _What do you want to know?"_

" _Who submitted my story?" I didn't want to use a question answerable by yes or no since I didn't want her to lie to me._

" _Professor Luke Sawyer did," in one second she confirmed my greatest fear. I felt like I was crashed by a giant boulder. It woke me up knowing that I believed that Christian wouldn't lie. Of course, he would always lie._

" _Why did you ask?"_

" _I just thought my husband did it," I sounded defeated._

 _She smirked, "Your husband? He came here with his girlfriend."_

" _H-huh?" My voice quivered._

" _Carietta Pierce? Cara? Well, they went here together looking so sweet. Cara's a friend of the editor-in-chief and she's possessive of your husband."_

 _I had never felt so humiliated my whole life. My fingers pressed on her wooden desk and I was losing my grip. It was like a blur. The good times with Christian turned into doubts of him still seeing Cara. Sure, he had explained his feelings for Cara but like always, he was lying._

 _Out of nowhere I screamed throwing Leila's mug to side._

 _I was losing my mind as they only consisted of images of Christian and Cara._

 _~S.A.~_

" **Say Dada, come on. Sierra, say Dada." My daughter already said Mama and in fact, it was her favourite word. It frustrated me that she still didn't want to say 'Dada' but it's fine. I know that through time I'm going to be part of her vocabulary again.**

 **We were on the carpet of the living room when Sierra had a green crayon to draw messy lines on the bond paper. She was mumbling baby words and I smelled her head. We were spending a daddy-daughter time. Becky went to a Bieber concert and she was texting me from time to time updating me what song he's singing.**

 **Sierra's the only one who can keep me calm. I really wanted to kill Sawyer since he ruined what could've been the greatest moment I've shared with my wife. I've tried to go to the Seattle's Latest but they acted as if they never met me. I was in the position where no one could help me.**

 **The doorbell rang and I carried Sierra with me upon opening it.**

" **Christian," shock consumed me as I saw Cara in an immaculate pale dress mascara running down her cheeks. She looked broken.**

" **Oh my goodness! Cara, come in!" I sat her down the couch and thoughts were racing in my head. Did someone steal her possessions? Was she hurt by someone? Or worse: was she raped? I was getting too worried.**

" **What happened? Cara, tell me," I repeated three times.**

 **Cara was not moving. She stared at nothing when she explained with a voice that sounded like she was in too much pain, "I came from a date, Christian."**

" **Did he touch you?"**

" **No, no, it's not what you think! He scared me!"**

" **How?" I demanded.**

" **He told me he loved me."**

 **Relief washed over me as she mentioned the reason.**

" **What's wrong with that? And who is it?"**

 **This time she looked at me with endless tears coming from her eyes, "It's Jose Rodriguez and he's in love with me. He loves me, Christian and I love him too."**

" **What's wrong with that?" I pressed not getting it at all.**

" **Christian, I can't have children. That's why I don't want to be with anyone."**

 **The revelation was too shocking that I lost the ability to speak. Cara, the very confident woman who reasoned her career of not wanting children was feigning the whole time. It wasn't about not wanting to be a mother; it's about not being able to be one.**

 **She shared, "When I was fifteen, I had an oophorectomy. I bled so much and it was so painful. Dad took me to the hospital and the doctor diagnosed me with Endometriosis. The tissues which should be lining on the uterus were outside instead. The lining got attached to my ovaries and that's why I needed them removed!"**

 **Cara was crying that I started soothing her back. She cried harder.**

 **She continued, "A year later I met this guy and I lost my virginity to him. I told him everything about me and we were so close and so in love and of course, it wasn't true. It turns out that he dated me to get inside my pants and didn't leave because he could get unlimited sex without condoms, without having to worry about a pregnancy.**

 **Christian, I will never make anyone happy. No one will ever love me."**

 **That's when I discovered that underneath the strength of a woman was a piece of her that didn't believe she was good enough.**

 **As a man, I gave her a piece of advice, "Cara, when a man loves you then that means he does love you no matter the circumstances."**

" **But—"**

" **Tell Jose and I assure you he'll still want you."**

" **But—"**

 **I wasn't the one who interrupted her this time. Sierra held out her hand to reach her face. She was attracted to the mascara. Sierra laughed over and over until Cara and I did too.**

" **Cara, go back to Jose and take the risk," I gave her an advice as our laughter faded. She strongly nodded.**

 **She kissed Sierra and I was sure that she could adopt a child and be a great mother.**

 **Author's Note: I didn't realize that the last chapter was too short. I made it up with this though. I hope you are satisfied with the length of the chapter.**

 **Your thoughts? Tell me, please.**

 **Thank you so much for reading.**

 **Margo.**


	27. Part 2 Chapter 14

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Month 5 out of 6**

 _My brain was sweating and my feet were tapping the wooden floor over and over again. The old lady from the next table hushed me. I wasn't aware of the meddling noise I was making. I was sweating so much, and not one of my crazy imaginations can comfort me right now. I just needed to know the truth._

 _I glanced outside the window of the restaurant and saw Cara arriving with a Latino guy. They looked very much in love and they shared a sweet kiss before she went inside. That eased me a little bit. The two of them looked like they're really in love, but doubts kept on invading my mind._

 _Of course, she was stunning. She could be a Victoria's Secret angel. She wore a black suit with matching black stilettos. Her up-do hair emphasized her beautifully crafted bone structure and her red lips suited her just fine._

" _Anastasia," she smiled before sitting across me. I've already bought two cups of coffee for us both and she seemed to enjoy stirring hers._

" _Thank you for meeting me, Cara."_

 _She smiled, "The pleasure is all mine."_

 _I cut straight to the point, "Are you seeing Christian?"_

 _She looked as though I slapped her across the face with full force._

" _Cara, I don't mean to accuse you but Leila told me that you went to the publishing house with him and that you were all over him. You got jealous of her, she told me that. What were you doing in our house last night? Cara, I am not going to lash out on you so please tell me the truth because I am going crazy."_

 _Her back arched and she acted as though she wanted to attack me but stayed patient. She was staring at her empty cup of coffee, red coated fingernails tapping against the white ceramics. She raised her brow and with a cold voice she told me, "You are sick, Anastasia. You seriously need a therapist."_

" _Excuse me—"_

 _She raised her head so her eyes met mine, "I am serious, Anastasia. I don't mean that as an insult. Look at you! Just look at yourself! You are emotionally unstable and your anxiety causes you to have doubts! You panic instantly and you get depressed over a little thing. I am concerned about, Anastasia so please go and see a psychiatrist. You need to take care of your mental state."_

 _This time I felt like she slapped me back._

" _Cara—"_

" _To clear my name, I am not seeing Christian Grey. I have a boyfriend named Jose Rodriguez and your husband is aware of that. Christian and I went to the newspaper's office since we wanted to help you grow as a writer. Yes, we were the ones who submitted it to the paper. Leila was seducing your husband so as a woman who respects you, I told her to back off. It's never about jealousy, Anastasia. Can't you see that?"_

 _Her revelations caused my lips to quiver and my eyes teared up. How could I believe Luke over Christian? How could I? All of a sudden, voices inside my head screamed at me. They reminded me of how much of a horrible person I was._

 _Cara continued, "You are very lucky, Ana. It might have been too early and it didn't happen the way it supposed to but you have a beautiful daughter and you have a husband who is willing to correct every single mistake he did to you. If you don't see that then you don't deserve Christian."_

 _You don't deserve Christian._

 _You don't deserve Christian._

 _You don't deserve Christian._

 _Her voice echoed._

 _She told me, "I can't have a child, Ana but you know what? I accepted things the way they are and I give myself a chance to be happy. I finally found a guy who accepts me for who I am and I want to give him all of me. Why don't you do the same?"_

 _I started crying like a baby in front of her but she showed no remorse._

 _She stood up with her parting words, "If you love Christian but you cannot trust him, then you might as well end your marriage."_

 _Cara walked out of the restaurant. She proved how horrible I was._

 _~S.A.~_

 **Sierra was sleeping soundly so I tried to formulate ideas for my business presentation. However, I can't seem to have the drive for it. Instead of adding up new slides to my powerpoint, I stared blankly on the wall unsure what to do.**

 **When Cara left last night, Ana arrived and the two of us treated each other like strangers. She couldn't look at me and I appeared to be crazy as I tried to converse with her but she was really silent absent-mindedly swinging our daughter back and forth. We slept right next to each other with a space that wordlessly explained that something's definitely wrong between the two of us.**

 **I reached out to touch her hair but hesitated since it might cause an outburst.**

 **Then, the thing that made me the most upset was that I woke up in the middle of the night to an empty bed. I checked the nursery and there was only Sierra. I looked everywhere and found her on the sofa downstairs. A dagger twisted my heart as I noticed that she's been crying. I carried her back to our room again.**

 **I stared at her sleeping face and her swollen eyes and red cheeks told me something that woke me up. She's not happy with me anymore. I guess she has never been.**

 **I didn't sleep the entire night but I wasn't tired. I switched the computer off and went back to our room. Her desk was untidy so I decided to clean it. I piled the folders alphabetically. I checked on the papers and sorted them out by date. Then, I saw two papers that completely changed everything.**

 **The first was a bond paper with her handwritten story.**

The Little Boy and the Broken Bird

by Anastasia Rose Steele-Grey

A long time ago there was a little boy who was always scared of his father. His father would whip him if he made a single mistake so he decided to live without mistakes. He tried to be the best boy in town yet his father never appreciated it.

One day when he was walking in their garden, he met a bird with a serious injury on her right wing. He took her in and gave her such great care. His father found out and he got his back slashed again as he broke the rule "No animal inside the house".

That night when the little boy cried, the little bird showered his back with her own feathers and it appeared that the boy never had wounds at all. He thanked her again and again before he tried to find ways to fix her.

Over time, the little boy didn't fear his father anymore. When his father would try to attack him, he would simply fight back. He vowed never to be hurt again for he had the magical bird who gave him strength. The little boy spent his afternoons playing chase with the bird in their garden. It broke his heart knowing that she can't fly as high as she aimed to.

The little boy did everything he can so that he could fix her: giving her nutritious feeds, aiding her with bandage, and even singing her favourite song. The bird was glorious when the little boy found the flock she belonged so that she won't be lonely anymore.

No matter what the little boy did, the bird remained broken.

She never meant to hurt him but she was the only one who could fix herself so when the little boy was asleep, she flew to the sky guided by the flock of birds. She gave him one last glance and vowed she'll come back.

The little boy woke up and since then he'd watch the sky, longing for his friend.

 **There was a certain amount of heat rushing through my body as the story seemed to affect me more than it should have. I wasn't stupid. I knew that I was the little boy and she was the broken bird. I put her story aside and was faced with the heaviest paper I've carried my whole life.**

 **I had to blink twice just to make sure that it was real.**

 **I read every word, every bracket, and even the spaces. Divorce papers! These are divorce papers, already signed. All it needed was my signature for it completed.**

 **I lost my grip of it and I didn't even realize I had sunk on to the floor and was bawling. I cried all my frustrations away. I cried how Ana refused to open her heart to me in the way she did before. I cried because she planned to leave me all along yet made me expect that there was still hope for us. I cried because there was no one else to blame but me. Why didn't I love her before? Why?! Why was I such an ass to her before?**

 **I didn't know how long I was crying but I finally calmed down and thought of things clearly.**

 **The truth was I love her . . . and I can't make her happy. Both were two sides of a coin, not one existing without the other.**

 **After all I've done and she still can't believe me then I will do the impossible for her: I will show her that I love her so much I have to let her go.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **:( One chapter to go then we move to part 3.**

 **Thanks for reading! What do you think?**

 **Margo.**


	28. Part 2 Chapter 15

**Author's Note posted after the chapter.**

 **Part 2**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Month 6 out of 6**

 _Staring at the mirror in front of me, I took a deep breath. A month had passed since Cara and I talked, and since then I've grown distant with Christian. We only spoke when it concerned Sierra but other than that, we refused to talk. He was all about the business proposal now and I was all about acknowledging whether I need therapy or not._

 _Anyway, I was looking in front of the mirror because this wasn't how it should be. I should be graduating with a huge smile on my face. The six months had passed like timebomb. Each tick of the clock was a reminder that Christian and I were going to end._

 _I messed up. That's just it. Period._

 _I put my graduation cap on and turned around when I heard Christian by the door, "Mommy, the ceremony's about to start. Let's go." My heart fluttered as Sierra was standing up through the aid of Christian's leg. Of course, he was cautious so she wouldn't fall. For the past six months, Christian had been very close to her. It's not that I'm complaining but I could sense something was wrong._

 _Today though, Christian was all smiles. It seemed as if we were a married couple who's supportive of each other. We were standing face to face and there was that glimmer in his eyes screaming at how proud he was of me._

 _I picked Sierra from the floor before confirming, "Yes, let's go."_

 _Before he could respond, Grandma screamed, "Hey! Let's go now! I want to save seats for our bodyguards as well! Come on!" Apparently both of my grandparents were present and they brought twenty-four bodyguards with them—twelve for each. Christian and I stared at each other and like old times, it was as if nothing happened at all._

 _~S.A.~_

 **I was feeling nostalgic because this was the same scenario. A year ago, my fellow high school graduates and I sat on the field under the kiss of the sun, and there I was telling my valedictory speech. Was it possible to feel nostalgia over something you could've done?**

" **Look, there's your beautiful Mommy. Look, there she is." I whispered to my daughter while kissing her chubby cheeks. "Mama!" She gave me a toothless grin. I was becoming emotional again since it had been a year. She turned one last week and it was very extravagant as Becky and Mayor took care of everything. They practically brought Disneyland in the neighbourhood. It was too stressful to remember, but a milestone for me as a father.**

 **While we were waiting for the ceremony to start, I recalled my valedictory speech last year. I was a very selfish man as I only talked about myself. I talked about my visions and how the world should be. I spoke for nearly thirty minutes and I've only given one sentence for my soon to be ex-wife and daughter, "Thank you, Anastasia and thank you also to our baby."**

 **They deserved so much more than that.**

 **If given the chance to have a valedictory speech, I would dedicate everything to them. I would tell the whole school how both of them taught me how to breathe each and every day. I would tell them how much of an asshole I am that it cost Ana's trust and happiness. I would tell them that they'll be the backbone of my success. Most of all, I would say that I love them body and soul.**

 **What's the point of regret? I messed up. That's it. Period.**

 **Before the valedictorian gave her speech, the headmaster spoke first. He had always spoken languidly. One syllable was equal to three seconds and we were usually sleepy. However, he was aggressive today.**

" **I warn you and all of you! Don't you ever harass my students anymore! We had a language professor who tried to have an affair with one of our married students! Goodness! I kicked him on the butt and out of this school! If you ever try to harm one of my students again then you better hide because I may be sixty but I still go to the gym every day and do some treadmills!"**

" **My husband goes to the gym too!" Becky screamed.**

" **Honey, no—"**

" **Shut up, you're embarrassing me," Becky hissed making Mayor frown again.**

 **We were very proud of Ana because she finally spoke to the headmaster about Luke's advances and the headmaster was furious needless to say. It got even worse when other students forwarded and admitted Luke had a thing with them as well.**

 **After the words, each was given the chance to go up to the stage and when Ana was called out, we were both cheering for her. Beyond our expectations, Becky did something outrageous again. All twenty four body guards stood up and tore their shirts open. Each torso had one letter on it and it all spelled out: CONGRATULATIONS ANASTASIA.**

" **The exclamation point! The exclamation point!" Becky was in distress. Her husband rolled his eyes and stood up with the guards. He opened his shirt too and revealed the exclamation point (and the fact that he doesn't really go to the gym). The crowd was cheering though. Ana obviously had a meaningful graduation.**

 **Becky was very happy and I told her how clever and thoughtful it was of her. She kissed my daughter and rested her head against my shoulder. We all cheered as Ana received her diploma and certificate for the "Writer of the Year" award.**

 **She smiled at us and I could've sworn she was only looking at me.**

 **These were the moments I'd treasure forever.**

 **Sadly, moments like this don't last forever.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **We had dinner in the house and Becky and Mayor were fascinated over Sierra who kept on dancing to the beat of "Despacito". It didn't take long before Becky started dancing with her. Our baby was really energetic and she brought so much light to the room.**

" **Christian, can we talk?" Ana's voice was solemn.**

 **The volume of happiness lowered down and I noticed Becky's face fall. That's when I realized that she knew about this all along. She was dismayed and it hurt to know that she might have persuaded Ana to change her mind, but she was unstoppable. I stood up and followed Ana to our room.**

 **When I closed the door, we stood in front of each other face to face. She was holding the folder and by the dust on it, she obviously hadn't opened it for a month. This would be the first time she would see the paper again. She couldn't meet my eyes and she only stared on the floor.**

" **Christian," her voice cracked.**

" **Ana," I found mine sounding the same.**

 **That's when she looked up and I realized that her eyes were blue mirrors with cracks. She looked completely broken, nothing like how a girl should look like when her daughter just turned a year old and she just graduated. Regardless of everything, she couldn't be happy. It's all because of me. I did the right choice.**

" **Christian, I love you. I love you so much that I couldn't handle it anymore. I am so sorry for the mess I've created. If it weren't for me then none of this would've happened and—"**

" **You have nothing to apologize for, Anastasia. Sierra is not to apologize for," I gave her a soft smile.**

" **I know but I stole your life, I ruined everything, and I . . . I'm messed up!" She really was. She looked so vulnerable, nothing like the bright persevering naïve girl or the girl who concealed her emotions to be strong.**

 **I didn't speak anything. I just took the time to listen to her.**

" **Christian, I want you to know that it has always been you. I could enumerate all the ways I don't deserve you. I'm sorry that it took Cara for me to believe that you were the one who submitted my story. I'm sorry that I stop smiling whenever you're not looking at me. I'm sorry because I can't be happy no matter how hard I try."**

 **I shook my head repetitively completely disagreeing with her.**

" **I am really sorry, Christian but I need time for myself. I am going to New York with Sierra and you can visit whenever you like. I promise to bring her here during holidays, summer, and her birthday. I'm sorry that I needed to take her with me—"she was bawling "—I am so sorry because I planned to take her away from you. I swear, Christian, she'll always be your daughter."**

 **She opened the envelope and her eyes went wide as she saw the paper. With too much shock, it fell to the floor. Her eyes were so wide and for a moment she couldn't breathe. I already signed it.**

 **I reached out to cup her cheeks and our eyes met.**

" **Anastasia, I love you so much and I know it will be very difficult for you to trust me. I rejected you when you professed your love, I asked you to abort our little butterfly, I said all those painful words when I got drunk, and I hit your ego enough for you not love yourself anymore. If I can't make you love yourself then—"I swallowed the words "—I am not the right person for you."**

 **Her tears streamed freely and I wiped them one by one.**

" **There are all kinds of love in this world. What I feel for you is great but it doesn't mean it is right. The truth is we both messed up. You messed up and so did I. What hurts more is that we're not strong enough to make it out of this mess. You know what I learned?"**

 **I gave her a sad smile.**

 **She shook her head still crying.**

" **I learned that sometimes we need to clean ourselves on our own. We love each other but we're not good for each other. I have always been selfish, Ana and you know that but you taught me what it's like to fall in love: you love and love and love no matter what, even when it hurts. That's why I'm letting you go because I love you.**

 **No one could take my place as Sierra's father; I am aware of that but surely someone out there exists and that someone can make you love yourself. It's like suicide—imagining you with another but it's for the best. I love you enough to do this, Ana. I know I signed the divorce papers last month but I wanted to spend the sixth month with my daughter since it's not going to be the same—she's not going to be here every day."**

 **Ana was speechless.**

" **I am sorry, Christian," that's all she said.**

 **Then I said the most painful words, "It's okay, Miss Steele."**

 **We locked ourselves in a time-ticking embrace.**

 **~S.A.~**

" **Are you sure that you're not coming with us? You can remarry my granddaughter!" Becky was begging me and it broke my heart that I can't grant her wish. She was on the verge of tears while Ana carried Sierra like a zombie.**

" **Dear, let's go. We're not in authority to intervene with their relationship. Let's give them time to talk," the mayor told Becky before giving me a sad smile. Before getting inside the jet plane she hugged me and whispered something to my ear.**

 **I grinned and waved goodbye when she and the mayor entered their private plane.**

 **I was left with Ana who looked like she hadn't slept for weeks. I tossed the business plan aside as I only prayed for this woman to be okay. It broke my heart to see her look dead. I wish that when we meet again, she'd have color in her eyes. I wish that she could have that glow of a happy girl, with doubts and insecurities all buried in the past.**

" **May I hold my little butterfly for a while?"**

 **She absent-mindedly handed Sierra over to me and I held her close to my chest. Fuck! I didn't know that it would hurt this much. It all sunk in. I'll be coming home to an empty house after this. There'll be no baby dancing to Spanish songs and crawling on the floor. I never thought I would miss cleaning her diapers filled with poop.**

 **I tried not to cry, "Sierra, Daddy loves you, okay? Your father loves you so much. I love you so much. No matter what you'll think, the fact is that Daddy loves you. We'll see each other from time to time, I promise."**

 **Then I completely lost it when she uttered for the first time and out of the blue, "Dada!"**

 **Ana's snapped out of her zoned out condition and was breathless of what our daughter said.**

" **Dada, Dada, Dada," she said again and again and I was crying like a pussy.**

 **As I continued holding her close, she continued calling me "Dada" and it made it even more unbearable. I whispered that I love her so many times and that even a thousand miles away I'll strive to be the best father. Yes, she'll have a great life in New York but she'll also have a great life in Seattle with me. I'll do everything for this little girl.**

 **We snapped back to reality and I gave my daughter to Ana.**

" **Ana?"**

" **Yes?" She sounded weak.**

 **I reached inside my coat and gave her a fresh red rose. I took a step closer to her and tucked it behind her ear.**

" **One last rose," I told her while touching her cheek.**

 **She turned her face to side to kiss my palm, one tear falling from her eye.**

 **With that, she took her steps to the jet plane and as if Sierra knew what's going on, she cried out loud that I almost ran to comfort her. I stopped myself though. It'll hurt even more.**

 **When the jet plane left, I fell down the ground and so did everything else.**

 **Author's Note: I am really sad right now. This was too heavy to write, but it had always been part of the plot since the idea swarmed its way into this tiny head of mine. I am really sorry if I don't reply with your reviews. These moments of writing are actually "stolen" moments as I am pretty busy with my career. Wish me luck because tomorrow exams week begin.**

 **Thank you! What do you think?**


	29. Part 3 Chapter 1

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Three years later . . .**

 _I was in a serious case of writer's block. They said that one way to overcome the block is to sit down by a relaxing place and eat your favourite food. Well, I was sitting on my wooden chair, staring at the busy streets of New York while eating a box of doughnuts. Still, there was no idea coming into mind._

 _My fountain pen tapped against the mahogany table while my tongue touched the roof of my mouth. My hair was a mess and my paper was empty. Boy, I was a really messed up writer. I haven't written anything for the past three weeks and it was pure torture._

 _I decided to stand up and open the windows instead. Cars were honking, people shouting, and everything else screamed busy. I always thought New York was the home of glamour. It turned out that luxury had its price. People strive hard to gain so much. Suddenly I was feeling nostalgic again. Three years passed yet it felt like a mere second._

 _On the day we first arrived in New York, it was a whirlwind of media. Apart from the fact that I was the long lost daughter of the Mayor, I also wrote great children stories. They deemed me as the Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimms Brother of the twenty first century. I was one of those whose fairy tales never ended up with happily ever after's._

 _I remembered being so awestruck about the grand mansion. The walls were granite and there were a total of thirty chandeliers. Everything screamed luxury in my new home and I was really freaked out when Sierra's room had a Minnie Mouse mascot. There was a moment of laughter because Grandpa and Grandma's wedding portrait was larger than life, but what's larger than their photo was Grandma's picture frame with One Direction. She talked for days about the time she met the five boys._

 _Then, the best thing about the house was my mother, Sierra's pictures. They were everywhere! She was so beautiful and the room I have right now was hers. I looked at the bedside table and there I was, an infant in her arms and right next to it is the photograph of Sierra and I, kind of like an imitation._

 _That's when I got an idea on what to write about._

The Three Year Travel

by Anastasia Rose Steele

Once there was a princess with a white horse. She was very simple and she really loved the moon. However, she was mistreated by the people in the castle, and so she ran away. She left them all behind: her friends, her parents, and her prince.

On the night she travelled with her white horse, she gazed upon the moon and recalled the moment she had with the prince.

They were sitting together on the meadow surrounded by colourful flowers. Fireflies were flying everywhere but they were nothing compared to his eyes. They were bright gold and they turn silver when the night strikes—like the moon. She loved him like the moon, but the moon? It always changes. The prince was mean to her at first, but he changed. He treated her like what she deserved: a stellar princess!

Then the princess got scared since she knew that if he were the moon then he'll always change. She was afraid that one day he'll wake up and cease to love her.

The princess fled with her white horse and for the past three years of travel, she realized that she was the broken one. She met so many people and she'd been to so many places. Of the three year travel, she got to know herself. She fixed who she was and told herself, "Yes, I'm broken but I'm not broken forever."

She stood up and rose as a strong woman.

The princess lived normally in a hut by the beach, enjoying every sunrise and sunset.

At night when no one was looking, the princess would look up to the moon and see it change from full to half to quarter then to full again. She was happy that she wasn't at home anymore. She was happy without him.

 _I didn't know why but I crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it aside. Something felt so wrong with the story I wrote especially with the last part. It just didn't feel right._

 _I rolled my eyes and stepped out of my room while pulling my hair up for a messy bun._

 _How could I make a fairy tale about the past three years? Yes, I was living the life with my grandparents and daughter but something just felt empty. I wasn't friends with Mia anymore since she wrote a novel of how much she hates me for leaving her brother. I was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety. Apparently it never vanishes; I just have to learn how to deal with it. Yes, I was a known author but there was a hole inside me._

 _It's the hole only he could fill._

 _While I was on therapy, Christian visited New York and we'd have a great time. That was the first year but for the past visits, he seemed really stoic and cold. He was a great father but he couldn't laugh or crack a joke anymore. No, he didn't come back to the old him but he was really different. He was flat. He was so serious about his company. He's a billionaire now since he won the business presentation contest after we divorced._

 _I missed him even when he's around. I missed who he was. But I got no one to blame, right?_

 _As soon as I reached the marbled kitchen, I found a lady who was committing a sweet crime._

" _Young lady," I warned after clearing my throat._

 _She stiffened and looked at me with a cringe smile. It was Sierra standing on our Great Dane, Juliana as she reached for the cookies on the tall counter. The dog seemed to agree with what they're doing since she got cookies too._

" _Get down from Juliana," I instructed._

" _Sorry Mommy," she gave me a grin filled with chocolate. Instead of getting mad, I found myself laughing. She was so cute. Sierra was the replica of Christian. She only got my nose and my infinite imagination. She was wearing her yellow dress and it complimented her copper curls so well._

 _Juliana barked and I patted her, telling her she's forgiven too._

" _Don't do it again, okay? You just brushed your teeth, right?"_

" _I am so sorry Mommy," she said and I gave her a kiss on the forehead._

 _We were not alone in the house, of course. There were maids everywhere and they were given an iPod each because Grandma said, "So you never get bored while cleaning and you should support my favourite songs too." Needless to say all the songs in the iPod were chosen by my grandmother._

 _Sierra's never alone and she's safe as all workers in the house underwent background investigation first._

 _As soon as Sierra brushed her teeth again she ran around the huge space with Juliana. They were really close. I didn't intend to have a dog let alone a Great Dane, but Grandpa wanted her. She was a rescue dog from an avalanche. She was harmless and she just formed a bond with my daughter._

 _I sat on the sofa while staring at them both. Sierra was laughing and it sounded like my favourite song. I look at her and see more of Christian every day, I swear._

 _There were picture frames on the furniture as well—lot of them. Mostly were photos of Grandma with celebrities and my daughter. However, the last picture frame didn't have a picture in it. It was a paper drawn by Sierra. Three stick figures representing a family._

 _She drew it last year. I asked, "What's this?"_

" _It's our family picture."_

 _I couldn't find the words to say._

 _My three year-old added, "My fwend told me that they have family picture. Mommy, Daddy, and fwend. So this is our picture: Mommy, Daddy, and Sierra!"_

 _Now she's four and I still saw her looking at her drawing sadly._

 _I shook my head and decided to read the paper instead. Maybe I can be able to get an idea from reading something. I took a sip from the mug of coffee but it crashed down the floor when I read the headline. All the maids rush to me full of concerned. The coffee spilled on the floor like a trail of black blood._

 _Sierra and Juliana stopped playing too. It was as if the world stopped._

 **RUMOR HAS IT: CEO CHRISTIAN GREY AND POPSTAR CASSIOPEIA DATING?**

 _I was instantly horrified. The words in my mind raced and in the end not one came across the finish line. I was really mortified. I felt my breath shortening. I didn't know what to do. My heart was beating so fast. I was in a panic. I shook my head again and again imagining the horror in my mind: Christian with another girl?_

 _I managed to decline their help politely and I kissed my daughter first before going back to my room._

 _It was a mess! Everything was! Christian with another girl!_

 _I found the crumpled piece of paper and was grateful that it was still readable._

 _I grabbed my fountain pen and quickly changed the ending of the story._

At night when no one was looking, the princess would look up to the moon and see it change from full to half to quarter then to full again. She was happy that she wasn't at home anymore. She was happy without him.

 _I changed it to:_

For the past three years she looked up to the sky and saw the moon was always full and never changing. The princess grabbed her white horse to start another journey.

She found her way back to him again.

 **Author's Note: THANK YOU! I have more than 540 follows and 1,000 reviews because of YOU. Thank you!**

 **As the part 3 goes on then we will know more about Ana and Sierra's life. Next Chapter we will see Christian.**

 **What do you think?**

 **Margo.**


	30. Part 3 Chapter 2

**Author's Note Below**

 **Important: Normal Font is for flashbacks too and not just for Ana's stories.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 2**

 **The sun was shy today as it hid behind the clouds. The sun didn't know that if it lost confidence in itself then everyone would feel the darkness as well. The meeting was over and such negotiations caused me to have migraine. There were just some clients that took four hours to finally agree with the business proposal.**

 **It was already five in the afternoon and I considered this a miraculous day since my schedule wasn't full. I had all the time to drink coffee and read books and formulate innovative plans for business. The downside of it though was that I could contemplate my life as well.**

 **The tabloids already knew about my relationship with Andrea. Well, her screen name was Cassiopeia but I thought it didn't suit her. To be honest, I really wasn't into the relationship. I just wanted to shut people up. They all chastise me for being stuck in the past, so that's why I took the opportunity for Andrea and me to be an item. Now everyone's happy since they all thought I was happy.**

 **To be honest, I was nowhere near happy.**

 **I know it's unfair for Andrea but I was already a bad person so I might as well prove it.**

 **I sat down my chair and stared at nothing. It wasn't going to rain but it's too dark. It's like my life right now, this weather: Stagnant, never bright, never too dark, somewhere in the middle, and to make it short, I wasn't living at all.**

 **Returning to the past all the things just flashed before my eyes. From the moment Ana and Sierra flew to New York, things fell apart. A month after they left, I went there to visit and Ana and I were civil. We were able to walk the Central Park with Sierra. Of course, she was under therapy so I decided not to push her.**

 **I came back to Seattle with all the best of me. I gathered all my ideas and turned them into my masterpiece. I knew the businessmen would be very impressed since I have prepared for this my entire life. However, the opposite happened and what led to it automatically changed my life.**

"The one who got the prize is Eloise Reid!"

It wasn't me! I wasn't me!

For a moment the whole world stood frozen. I watched them hailed her as the victor of the presentation. What she talked about didn't make sense at all and I wasn't speaking in a biased way. I shook my head over and over and walked out of the hall like a sore loser. I did my best yet it wasn't enough. Why did it have to be like this?

Why can't people give me a chance?

I was a failure. That's just it. I was born to suffer.

I didn't know where I was going. All I saw was black because of the emotions rushing within me. I shook my head and I didn't even know that I was bawling. It was all too much. My Ana and my Sierra weren't at home, my parents won't ever care, and I will never have my own company. I fail at every single thing.

With all the thoughts disturbing me, I didn't notice that the traffic light turned green. I crossed the road and it didn't take a single second for a van to hit me hard. The pain was too much—life was too much. I didn't care that I was about to die.

 **My joint got dislocated because of the accident. That's why each time I exerted too much effort on my shoulder, there's an unbearable ache. I could still move but not like before. It was the first thing that van hit when I was crossing the street. It was so much more painful before but now I could endure it.**

 **I was awakened that night in the hospital—literally and figuratively.**

" _Oh my goodness, Christian! You are awake now! Oh my goodness!" It was my little sister who came home with her boyfriend from wherever they went. It was all blurry at first until I recognized that the Greys were all here._

 _Mom and Dad were emotional while Elliott looked relieved. Ethan was comforting my little sister, but they weren't enough. Where's my Ana and my Sierra? Where are they? I tried to move but when I did I growled in pain felt on my shoulder._

" _Christian, don't move too much, okay?" Mom was crying._

" _Let's get the doctor," Dad asked Mom and Elliott followed along too. They didn't leave until they all had a turn to kiss me on the forehead._

" _Ana . . . Ana . . ." I uttered her name over and over even if I couldn't recognize my own voice._

 _Mia looked extremely disappointed at me while Ethan opened his mouth to say something but Mia cut him off, "Can you give us some privacy, Ethan?" Being the submissive boyfriend, he walked out of the room and I was left with my sister. She looked like a stranger with those vicious eyes of hers. She looked like she wanted to kill someone. I never saw her this way before._

 _She held my hand and said, "Christian, you need to move on, okay?"_

" _No, no! What are you saying?"_

 _Then she revealed, "I phoned Ana about the accident and she doesn't care at all. Christian, she doesn't care about you anymore. Hell, she took your child across the country. You still won't move on? When have you been so pathetic?"_

" _No! No! No!" I felt as though I was a child sobbing._

 _She held me still and looked into me deeply, "Christian, move on. Ana's in New York enjoying her glamorous life. You know how I loved her as my best friend but I love my brother more. I told her about this and she doesn't give a damn about you."_

 _Then, I cried like a child in the arms of my little sister._

 **That day I realized that I was done hoping for something that will never happen. Yes, Sierra will forever be my little butterfly but Ana was nowhere near my heart anymore. Instead, she got to the angry side of me. She didn't even care that I had an accident. She didn't care. She didn't come back. Why would she deserve me?**

 **As soon as I got out of the hospital, I gradually mended my broken relationship with my family. Sure, we weren't perfect but without the associations of Carla and Ray and the influence of drugs, we were a happy family. That's when I realized that this was the chance I've been waiting for.**

 **Life was moving forward as I've finally accepted Ethan to the family and I've sold the house I've stayed in during my marriage.**

 **It turned out that when it rains, it pours. The university informed me that I was the real winner of the business proposal and not the girl. She only won because she was secretly the niece of one judge. It was padrino system and it was against the rules. I grabbed the opportunity without hesitations and before I knew it, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. became an empire as young as it was at age three.**

 **I shook my head and decided to stop all these memories.**

 **They were in the past. I decided to live in the present.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **Ever since my business was made, I hired a bodyguard named Taylor and he was my right hand man. He was extremely loyal and he was the second father to me. People get intimidated by my success but Taylor would always be someone I'd turn to for advice in terms of personal life issues.**

 **In this case, he decided to bring me here to Tony's Floral Fantasy. Great.**

" **Oh dear! Christian, you're back! It's been what? Three years since you last came here! Goodness! You look so different!" Tony was a very jolly old man who kept the business running with his grandson. He hugged me and of course, I hugged him back. Being CEO never meant forgetting everyone.**

" **It's good to see you, Tony," I smiled politely.**

 **Tony asked, "Another red rose?"**

 **That stung for some reason but I decided to ignore what I've felt.**

" **I won't be buying a rose today, Tony. Any other red flowers?" Tony arranged a bouquet of anemone and they were beautifully red. I've paid him more than he could ask for and promised to come back.**

 **Well, another promise I was going to break.**

 **Entering my Mercedes Benz, I instructed the directions to Taylor and he followed. We were going to the recording studio since Andrea and I had a huge fight last night. We were having a good time until she screamed out loud. She was really pissed at me and I couldn't blame her. That's why I'm going to make it up to her.**

 **Everyone was saying hello as I went inside the recording studio upon arrival. Taylor was full-on protective mode. After all the success I've achieved, I didn't have to introduce myself anymore. Everybody was aware of who I was but at the same time, they didn't. Even Andrea didn't know me, exactly.**

 **It didn't take long before she saw me and all the anger from last night just faded. She was wearing a baggy shirt and ripped jeans, very far from her Cassiopeia persona. She jumped on me and kissed me deeply on the lips. I kissed her back and everybody was in awe.**

" **Christian, I am sorry about last night."**

" **I am the one who's sorry."**

 **She shook her head and gave me a light kiss before beaming over the flowers, "Roses for me?"**

" **They're anemones," I informed her and just like that, the entire glow on her face disappeared. She smiled but I knew it was fake. She was very disappointed that they weren't roses. She was obsessed with roses but I just can't give her that. It felt too . . . personal.**

 **The manager called her and she pecked my cheek first before proceeding to the recording of her new song which I haven't heard before. As usual, it was very pop and people would really dance to it. It wasn't my type but I respected her enough.**

" **Mr. Grey, she wrote this on her own!" One of her staff informed and I was surprised since she usually had composers.**

 **Andrea began to sing with lyrics I knew were meant to attack me.**

 **Oh, baby. Oh, baby.**

 **All night. You and me.**

 **Let's k-i-s-s**

 **Let's k-i-s-s**

 **Let's do the s-e-x**

 **So stop talking about your ex!**

 **The lyrics were repetitive and I found myself drowning in guilt for hurting Andrea.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **I lived in Escala right now and Taylor and Gail were the only persons with me. They were already a couple when I met them and they were like family. Since Sierra was away, I liked to spoil their teenage daughter Sophia. Sierra likes her too. They would play with Barbie dolls when my daughter pays a visit in Seattle.**

 **Night time was my favourite since I get to say goodnight to my little butterfly.**

" **Daddy!"**

" **Baby! How are you? Daddy misses you so much!"**

" **Oh Daddy, I miss you too!" Her voice was too small and I laughed to myself. She's the cutest little girl and that's a fact. She's also too smart for her age.**

" **What have you been up to, my sweet Sierra?"**

" **I played with Juyana!" She talked about Juliana and even though I didn't care much about the Great Dane, I was glad Sierra was happy with her. I listened to her babble until she ran out of breath. I was there when Grandpa Mayor surprised her with the big dog and she named her Juliana after her teacher. Well, the teacher didn't like it that she got the same name with the dog.**

 **Sierra was running out of breath and she paused for a while.**

" **Slow down, Sweetie. Daddy wants to know about school."**

" **School was okay!" Her high pitched voice energized me.**

" **What do you mean it's okay?"**

" **Teacher Tom was angwy!"**

" **He was angry?" Teacher Tom was the kindergarten teacher who treated kids like adults. I wasn't very impressed since Sierra's at her first year of education but Becky assured me that everything's under control. In case you're wondering, Becky and I still talk from time to time.**

" **Yes, Daddy," she didn't seem shaken.**

" **What happened?"**

" **Well, he asked me something and I said yes. He told me to support my answer to I said 'Go answer! Go answer! I support you!'" She sounded like a cheerleader and that cheered me up. I couldn't stop laughing. Sierra was making things lighter.**

 **In the middle of laughter, I heard her yawn.**

 **I knew it was my cue to sing to her. It wasn't the typical lullaby or nursery rhymes. It was a song I'd want her to sing her whole life.**

" **Oh my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch a long lonely time . . ." I continued singing until she sang with me. We've been singing together every night and if she got older we would watch 'Ghost' together.**

 **When the song was over, she whispered, "Good night, Daddy. I love you."**

" **I love you too, Little Butterfly. Daddy loves you." I ended the call and was greeted by loneliness again. I was reminded that I was alone and I didn't have my daughter with me. I longed for her presence and it hurt to know that she won't know how it felt like to have a complete family.**

 **Well, it was another day of work, talk to Sierra, and sleep.**

 **The cycle will begin again tomorrow. I was about to asleep when my phone beeped. I checked the screen and it was an e-mail . . . from Ana. My heartbeat raced upon reading what she sent me.**

 **Author's Note: I've been waiting to update this story for two days now. I hope it was worth the wait. Tell me what you think?**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Margo.**


	31. Part 3 Chapter 3

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 3**

" _You should know what Sierra did in her school," Dennis seemed so proud._

 _We were walking down the streets of New York since Juliana and Sierra were always fond of walking. There's something about this city that just made my daughter and our family dog so happy. I myself felt alive on how busy the people can be. It's like everything was moving so fast._

 _Dennis was our all-around guy. He had been serving in the mansion since he was a little boy. He's in his mid-40's now and out of all the staff, he felt like a family. He always treated me like a daughter and not the boss. I adored him for it. Apart from his industriousness and humor, he also knew magic tricks too and that wowed Sierra. He was like the kind of father I never had._

 _What I meant by all-around guy was that he was the butler, the gardener, the dishwasher, and even one of the mascots for Sierra's birthday parties. Whatever Grandma said he always complied without complaint. Dennis was a happy person as well. Never the boss but always jolly. Right now he was one of the three bodyguards as we had our weekly walk._

 _I held my daughter's hand while she held Juliana's leash. The other two bodyguards were very serious while Dennis was in the mood to chat._

 _Sierra wanted to walk with Juliana alone so the two bodyguards followed her. I allowed her to do so just as long as she wasn't out of sight. Even though I was talking to Dennis my eyes never left my daughter and our dog._

" _What did Sierra do in school?" I asked Dennis._

 _Dennis smiled, "Remember that little boy who always teased her?"_

" _Yeah, that boy named Carson? Well, he was kind of a bully. I met face-to-face with his parents and they were really apologetic. Did he do something to my daughter again?" I was really worried since this boy always made fun of Sierra and he always called her silly names. He was so mean for a four year-old._

 _Dennis shook his head, "No, child. They have this drawing sort of assignment which must be done by pair and Sierra chose him for a partner. She noticed Carson didn't have any friends so she chose to befriend him. Carson said he was sorry and boom! Your daughter just had another friend at school."_

 _I was seriously amazed. She befriended Carson? I looked at my daughter incredulously and thought she was one of a kind. How could such a big heart fit into her small frame?_

 _The burger I bought her, she didn't even take a bite. Instead, she gave it to a homeless man. I saw the man in ragged wear smile at her and the two bodyguards who seemed so serious obviously was crooning over her sweet actions._

 _Dennis sighed in satisfaction, "See? You have a very beautiful daughter."_

" _I know, Dennis. I'm so blessed," I marvelled._

" _She's a lot like her grandparents, you know. I was a homeless little boy when they found me and look at me right now, I've got a job and I enjoy life."_

 _I didn't know about that. I gave Dennis a huge smile and called Sierra for an ice cream. Then we walked along the streets of New York licking different flavors of ice cream. Even Juliana had one too._

 _We sat on the bench and Sierra kept of babbling about her new found friendship with Carson. She talked about how he loved playing with his robots and how he could dance like a robot too. She told me how he seemed nice right after he said sorry._

 _Then, my daughter turned silent as a family passed by- a father, a mother, and a son. They were laughing while eating the same ice cream and in that moment it was as if a litre of cold waters was splashed all over me. Sierra looked incredibly jealous and I swore she almost cried._

" _Why so quiet all of a sudden, little Sierra?" Dennis asked._

 _She shook her head and said, "Nothing."_

 _As a mother, I knew that she visualized us three as a family. Maybe she dreamed of it. It broke my heart but I've got no one else to blame but myself. I raked my fingers through her copper locks so tenderly. There were a millions words to say. There were tons of apologies to be made. They were so many that I just kept my mouth shut._

 _I rested my head on her tiny shoulders and stifled a cry._

 _Then, I promised to make things right._

 _~S.A.~_

 _After the walk we had, I changed into my beige dress since I was going to participate in an event. I was one of the officers in Young Mom Organization, a group where we support teenage parents. Today we're going to have a spokesperson that ended up a billionaire despite having a kid at the age of fourteen._

 _I left with a different set of bodyguards and arrived in the venue where everyone seemed to greet me with excitement. They brought some of my storybooks and I signed it for them. I took photos with them as well. I was so happy that they appreciated my imagination._

 _It didn't take long before I found a seat right next to a girl whose baby was kind of whiny. Most of the women here are single parents so it means they brought their babies with them._

" _Hi! I am Anastasia Steele," I introduced myself to the teenager._

" _Hello," she responded shyly._

" _What's your name?" She's really bashful so I thought she needed some push._

" _My name's Erin and this is my little boy, Barney. He turned one yesterday."_

" _Oh really? Happy birthday Barney!" I greeted the baby and he laughed in response._

" _Thank you," Erin whispered._

 _I didn't mean to be blunt but I asked, "What's your story?"_

 _Erin seemed like she had been waiting for someone to ask her that—someone who won't judge, "Well, I gave birth to him when I was fifteen. It was a drunken night. Of course, my parents were so mad they made me leave the house. His dad never left us though. He wasn't very happy at first but when Barney came, he transformed into this man who would do everything for him."_

 _I didn't expect to relate with her story so much. I turned quiet._

 _Erin continued, "He said he wanted to work things out with me so I gave him a chance. Well, life's not easy for us but we're trying our best. He's a high school student while working two jobs. He's really working hard for us."_

 _I couldn't respond._

 _She opened up, "I was skeptical, you know. He really wasn't in love from the start and I found that hard to believe. I thought that maybe it dealt with Barney and he just confused his feelings but I gave him a chance and here we are: we have nothing but we have this little boy as our everything. We love each other and we know we're going to make it through."_

 _I almost teared up with what she shared. It opened another room for regret in me._

 _She stopped talking when the spokesperson arrived and started her speech. I didn't even listen. I spent most of the time staring at Erin and Barney. They seemed so content with each other. My eyes roamed around the room and I saw some teenage couples with their children and it reminded me of those times._

 _So many should have's entered my mind._

 _I should have given my heart to Christian fully during those six months. I should have seen his efforts and not his mistakes. I should have trusted him. I should have brought him with us in New York. I should have been there for him when he won the presentation._

 _Then, I got lost. I pictured Christian, me, and Sierra as teenagers listening to the spokesperson here in this very event. I saw the teenaged Christian kiss me on my temples and surprised me with another rose. In my imagination, we laughed as Sierra was getting too noisy again._

 _I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was back to reality. I was back to the realm of the mistakes I've made._

 _~S.A.~_

 _I wasted no time that night I got home. My impulse taught me that this was the right time to do it. I opened my computer and signed in to my e-mail. Ignoring all the fan mails, I typed a message to Christian._

 _ **To: Christian Grey**_

 _ **Subject: Sorry**_

 _ **Message: Christian, I am really sorry. For the past three years that I've been apart from you, I have never been happy. I am really sorry. I still love you. There's not a day I didn't. Christian, please give me a chance. I'll make sure I'll**_

 _I wasn't able to finish typing my message when someone hit me hard on the head with a rolled newspaper. I turned around and it was Grandma in one of her very pink attire._

" _Ouch, Grandma!" I complained._

 _She hit me again with the newspaper and screamed, "That's not how you do it!"_

" _What?!"_

 _She unrolled the newspaper and it was a confirmation from Cassiopeia that she and Christian were an item. My heart clenched at that and I was crushed._

" _Snap out of it, Ana! If you want Christian to take you back then you show it and not tell it!"_

" _Gran, come on! I know that! I am going to tell him first and then I'll show him!"_

 _Gran laughed sarcastically and made her point, "Anastasia, don't you realize what you've done? You flew across the country with his daughter after everything he's done for you! Don't tell me that I am wrong about this because I was the witness of all his attempts to win you back. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have found you! I know that I am not your regular grandmother but I am a reasonable person too!_

 _Dear, you have to understand that you've hurt him so much! You cannot expect him to fly across the country after you send the e-mail! He might not believe you and he has a girlfriend too. I don't know if he loves her but even if he doesn't, I'm sure as hell that he'll disregard your message. Ana, show not tell. Have a strategy. Why can't you just be smart for once?!"_

 _I've never seen Gran this intense. I knew she wanted Christian and I together but this was the time I felt how great the intensity was._

 _She shook her head and calmed down, "I know you're hurting too but so does he. Ana, step by step you get him and not all at once, okay? Let me handle this."_

 _Gran literally pushed me to the side and she typed something on the keyboard and I didn't know how to feel. Variety of emotions had drowned me that I couldn't think logically._

" _There! I sent it!" Gran informed and I moved close to the computer to see what she sent._

 _ **To: Christian Grey**_

 _ **Subject: BAD NEWS!**_

 _ **Message: Christian, I'm freaking out! Grandma had a heart attack!**_

" _Gran, what?!" In a split of a second, he replied._

 _ **I'll be there in New York ASAP.**_

 _ **Christian Grey**_

 _ **CEO, Grey Enterprises and Holdings Inc.**_

" _I told you," Gran winked._

 _I found lungs breathless and my heart thumping in joy._

 _Christian will be here._

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Margo.**


	32. Part 3 Chapter 4

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 4**

" _Gran, this is really crazy! He will find out, okay?" All of us gathered in the gigantic living room completely dazed of Gran's plan. She convinced everybody to shut their mouths including Sierra's and Grandpa's. Meanwhile, I was more than hesitant. I felt guilty about this. How could I lie to Christian? How could we lie?_

" _You worry too much, Dear. It's no wonder why you got more wrinkles than I do," Gran was making fun of me and I tried to be patient. Sierra was silent as she stood by me clutching my dress. She really had no clue what's going on._

" _Gran, trust me. He's not stupid to believe this! After all, you sound so healthy!"_

" _Oh, I have practiced this, Dear. Don't worry because I've mastered the Batman voice since I was a teenager."_

 _This was way beyond crazy and I was about to rebut when a car beeped from outside and my heart skipped a beat. I knew exactly who it was. Suddenly, I was completely frozen and I didn't know what to do. My body encountered goosebumps and my gripped tightened on my little girl's shoulders. He's coming and I couldn't fathom the thought._

" _Everybody in position!" Gran disappeared and in a blink of an eye, the main entrance opened and there he was standing with Taylor._

 _He was still so beautiful. He wore his usual corporate attire and his tousled hair looked like it was made fun of by the wind. He stood with such strong strut and as usual, I fell head over heels for him. There was pure worry in his eyes but was automatically replaced with unconditional love when he saw Sierra._

" _Daddy!" Sierra screamed on top of her lungs, unaware of this surprise. She ran to his arms and he swung her again and again. I watched my little girl kiss her father repetitively while mumbling how she can't believe he was here._

" _It's real, little butterfly. Your daddy's here."_

 _It broke my heart when Sierra asked, "And you'll stay here forever?"_

 _Christian turned silent and just kissed her in response._

" _Where's your Gran Gran?"_

 _That's when I stepped in, my heartbeat almost deafening my ears. My fingers shook when I spoke in voice lacked with confidence, "Christian, thank you for coming here." I controlled my urge of hugging him right at the moment. I wanted nothing but to wrap my arms around him this instant._

" _Where's Becky?" He said so coldly that it made me shudder. There was no kindness in him._

" _Well, she's—"_

 _I stopped speaking when Gran suddenly entered the scene sitting on a white and red striped wheelchair. It looked like a candy cane! She also had tubes on her nose and an oxygen tank carried by a bodyguard. Grandpa was pushing her wheelchair with a very annoyed look on his face. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel. My finger's snapped a hundred times per minute because of anxiety._

 _I was extremely guilty but I didn't have much choice, didn't I?_

 _Christian looked extremely horrified. He put Sierra back to the ground but refused to let go of her hand. He ambled his way to my grandmother and he looked like he wanted to cry._

" _Gran, I-I can't believe this . . ."_

 _He knelt down so their face would be of the same level._

" _Christian," Oh my goodness! She really sounded like Batman!_

" _Becky?" The sincerity in Christian's voice made me want to hide somewhere._

 _She smiled, "I am so glad you're here." Uh-oh! She half-sounded like Batman! Christian suddenly looked unsure. I covered my eyes. Oh no!_

" _Uhm . . . Becky, it's not that I don't believe you. It's just that it's all of a sudden, you know. You've been very healthy and you're very conscious about your lifestyle. I don't know."_

 _Gran looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I shook my head again and again. I guess I got nothing to do but tell Christian how this was all fake and that I wanted to get back with him, and give Sierra the complete family she always dreamed of—the complete family she should've had if it weren't for me._

 _When I almost did that, Dennis entered the scene and I almost melted to the ground._

 _Funny enough Christian never met Dennis since he was always on vacation when Christian visits._

 _He wore a lab gown with a stethoscope wrapped around his neck._

" _Good morning, Mr. Grey. I am Dr. Dennis, Becky's personal cardiologist," Sierra let out an audible laugh. Dennis just took the "all-around guy" to a whole new level. He sounded like a legit doctor, and he was so good that Christian believed him._

" _Please to meet you, Doc. Can you explain what's going on?"_

 _Dennis replied in a very odd language. Well, he spoke English but they were full of medical jargon. Christian creased his brows. He was smart so it meant that he was scrutinizing every word Dennis said._

" _Heart attack is_ _the death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of blood supply is usually caused by a complete blockage of a coronary artery, one of the arteries that supplies blood to the heart muscle. Death of the heart muscle, in turn, causes chest pain and electrical instability of the heart muscle tissue," Dennis explained in a very professional manner._

 _Christian was completely satisfied, "Very well, Doc."_

 _Christian then took the time to talk to Gran while Sierra tried to stop her laughter. She thought this was all a prank against her Dad. I didn't want to bring Sierra into this but Gran told her, "Sierra, this is called Operation Get Daddy Back so you have to cooperate. It's a game." My daughter seemed to enjoy it._

 _While they were talking, I elbowed Dennis and asked, "Where did you get that?"_

 _In a very doctor manner he replied, "I googled heart attack and found the information on ."_

" _What should we do, Doc? Becky said she's stressed!" Christian sounded like he's in panic._

" _That is simple, Christian. You just ask her what she wants you to do."_

" _Becky, what do you want me to do?" Christian's eyes were wide._

" _I want a cuddle party," Gran said in her Batman voice._

 _Dennis initiated carefully, "Let's do the cuddle party!" He locked us in a giant embrace and he definitely pushed me beside Christian. He wrapped his arm around my waist hesitantly, and the other around Sierra's. I felt a sudden jolt of electricity and was overwhelmed by it. I tried not to let it control me._

 _Gran was laughing now and Christian was happy about that._

" _Cuddle party by three!"_

 _Dennis supported, "The cuddle party is very effective, guys. Becky is feeling so much better. Now group yourselves into three and let's do the cuddle party for how long, Becky?"_

" _Three minutes!" The first one only lasted for seconds._

 _We really looked stupid but this one made Sierra look so happy. The three of us hugged and Sierra was giggling like this was the first thing that made her most joyful. She kept on looking at me and Christian. Dennis counted until the last second but I didn't want to let go. Goodness! I was getting emotional with this cuddle party._

 _Becky cheerfully announced, "Cuddle party by two."_

 _Dennis screamed still in formal doctor mode, "Find your pair!"_

 _Christian leaned to hug Sierra but she quickly locked her arms around Juliana. He looked at me for the first time today and I was able to endure the iciness. Christian really didn't want to hug me. Everybody found their pair and things turned awkward._

 _Then, Gran faked an excessive cough._

 _Christian quickly locked me in an embrace and I found my arms automatically doing the same to him. The moment he did this, I turned quiet. I suddenly didn't recognize New York anymore. My definition of home completely changed. This was the only definition of where I belonged._

 _Gran was really cheerful wrapped in Grandpa's arms, while Sierra teased, "Mommy! Daddy! Yehey!" I swore she had imaginary hearts in her eyes._

 _We didn't respond though. I unexpectedly buried my head against his chest and he slowly pushed me but I refused to let go. He didn't have my choice. His body showed refusal but his heartbeat was a completely different story._

 _It matched mine._

 _~S.A.~_

 _Christian will stay with us for a month. He decided that this was sort of a vacation and that Gran really needed him. Of course, all of us were guilty but this was the only way we knew. His hatred was over the top and we knew that he turned so cold._

 _I was standing by the door of the guest room. He was arranging his clothes. He wound sleep in Sierra's room but this place would store his belongings. It got overnighted by a carrier just today. It honestly looked like he'll live here._

" _Christian?" I sounded scared as I knocked on the door._

 _He didn't even bother to turn around. I was facing his back as he continued folding his clothes._

" _Anastasia, thank you for the hospitality. This room is great and I do feel sorry for what Becky is going through. Don't worry I'll be here since if she leaves this house for treatment then someone other than the staff would look after Sierra. Also, I'd like to inform you that I am very satisfied of the Wi-Fi here. I need to check my company from time to time."_

 _I didn't like it. He spoke to me as if I were a stranger. He spoke as if he was a CEO and not Christian. I slowly walked towards him._

" _I'd like you to know that I am going to be spending a lot of time with Sierra and—"_

 _He stopped speaking when I wrapped my arms around him from behind resting my cheek against his back. He was frozen. He couldn't react._

" _Ana, cuddle party's over," his tone was harsh._

" _Ana, stop this!" No matter how hard he tried to stop my embrace, he couldn't. I refused to let go of Christian. Not now. Not ever. He was being so stubborn trying to free himself from me but he stopped when he heard me sniff._

 _He stiffened and let us stay like this for a while._

 _He knew that I was crying. I cried because of the life I lost. I cried because I let go of the person who would love me truly. I cried because things were different now and I don't know if it'll ever change._

 _His hand touched my wrist and I expected it to push me away but he just let it rest._

 _Yes, he might have been very cold lately._

 _But, Christian, I know you care._

 _I know you care._

 **Author's Note:**

 **I am not plagiarizing. It's needed for this chapter to copy paste the definition I got from .com and I own nothing about their definition for heart attack. The plot needed for me to copy it word for word.**

 **Yes, there was a cuddle party. This story's dramatic so I think that there should be an element of fun.**

 **Chapter Song: I Know You Care by Ellie Goulding**

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **What do you think?**

 **Margo.**


	33. Part 3 Chapter 5

**Author's Note below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 5**

 **In the instant I saw Becky looking so outrageous in her wheelchair; I knew that this was all a charade. I was about to combust in anger so making feel so worried and for making me fly across the country, but when I saw Sierra's overjoyed face, I knew I needed to stay.**

 **She was so fond of her grandmother's craziness that she never stopped giggling.**

 **Becky was really crazy but I'll be crazy as well. I'll keep on pretending that I was clueless about everything and let her act with that strange voice. Also, Dennis was fake. My men did a background check on him and his job was tagged as "all-around guy" for the Mayor and his wife. Well, he was doing his job well. If I hadn't known well, I'd believe his lie as a doctor.**

 **I decided to stay for a month since I've never seen my daughter this happy. She was my joy and for the past times I visited, she never looked this energetic. She kept on running around the house screaming to everyone's face that her daddy's around.**

 **It was late in the evening but Sierra felt hyperactive. We sat on her queen sized bed with Moana's face. She had three dozen dolls and one was trapped in Juliana's mouth. Poor doll.**

" **Daddy, comb it well!"**

 **She was being bossy. Of course, I was the boss of my company but someone's higher than my position and that's my little girl. She was scowling at how bad I was as a hairdresser. She taught me that mechanics on how to brush a doll's hair effectively. It was a scientific formula that I didn't get until twenty minutes.**

" **Daddy, you're good now!" her voice was cute as it squeaked.**

 **I gave her a smile, completely feeling like a great Barbie hairdresser. I got to impress my boss in this salon.**

" **So Sierra, your Gran Gran's sick?"**

 **What they failed to realize that she had always been my partner in crime. We spent most of our time miles apart but nothing could separate the strength of our bond.**

" **No, Daddy, she's not."**

 **I smirked, "Then, why did she say she is?"**

 **She shrugged a little then spilled, "Because mommy still loves you."**

 **That's when I stopped combing Barbie's hair. My eyes widened and my back straightened. Sierra never lied to me. She never joked about this. She was very adamant as she focused on the redhead Barbie this time but I knew she knew more than that.**

" **What do you mean Mommy still loves me?"**

 **She didn't mean my gaze but her voice said, "Mommy loves you, Daddy. She's sad all the time. Sometimes I hear her cry."**

 **I found that pathetic. Of course, she wasn't crying about me. Ana cried for a lot of things, but never about me. She never cared for me at all. She's the kind of person who didn't know forgiveness. I know I fucked us up before but she never gave me a chance. She was like that: she'd leave you after you've hurt her. Besides, I wasn't sure if my daughter knew what love meant.**

" **Well, Sierra, I think that's not true. I think your mother doesn't love me."**

 **She then looked at me and said with such innocence, "She does love you, Daddy. Love means you are in Washington and I am in New York and I miss you."**

 **I didn't antagonize what she said. She's too young to know that love was so much more complicated and it meant getting hurt. I turned quiet then. I didn't want to tell her the harsh facts of life, and how she was wrong about Ana loving me.**

" **Daddy, I wrote a poem and I'll recite it in the school talent show."**

 **My eyes lighted up, "Really! Wow! Sierra, oh my goodness! Wow!" I knew this poem was going to be about princesses or unicorns but the point was she was only four and she could write her own poem.**

 **I kissed her face and squeezed both her cheeks until she got annoyed. I was so proud of her. She's like her mother and I didn't think it was right to feel this way, but it just felt right.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **The following I headed downstairs for breakfast and decided to pause at the doorway as I listened to Becky's normal voice. She was her energetic self and I laughed at that. I shook my head and thought how bizarre this was. If it weren't for my daughter, I would have flown all the way back to Seattle right now.**

 **I just woke up and it didn't sound like a lazy morning with Becky.**

 **Her voice was loud and clear when she ordered, "Front row tickets, okay?! Front row! I want to feel the sweat of Ariana Grande as she cycled to the tune of Side to Side!"**

 **I stepped into the kitchen and then I did my very best to contain my laughter when her voice changed to a very weird one, "Front row tickets! Oh good morning, Christian."**

" **Good morning, Becky. How are you doing?" I sounded worried enough.**

" **Just good," she smiled.**

" **Front row tickets for?"**

" **Uhm . . . for exercising women. They are going to use the stationery bicycles onstage to teach us how to live healthy," I imagined Ariana Grande demonstrating how to be healthy while cycling instead of doing it while singing.**

" **I see," I smiled.**

" **Uhm . . . Christian? Good morning," Ana sounded anxious and I was honestly confused with the plate she placed before me. It had all my favorites in it. It had omelette and blueberry pancakes. The coffee was black without sugar. It was exactly the way she prepared for me when we were still married and it made me uncomfortable.**

" **What's this?" I practically hissed.**

" **It's your breakfast. I prepared it for you," she answered.**

 **I was thankful Sierra's already in school otherwise I would've eaten this. I stood up from the dining chair and said, "I just lost my appetite."**

 **She looked incredibly hurt. It stung a little inside of me but I shook my head. I shouldn't feel pity towards her. She deserved this.**

" **Christian, I—"**

" **Eat it for yourself," I harshly told her before exiting the kitchen.**

 **I was back to the guest room completely lost in thought. Could it be possible that she still loves me? Was Sierra telling the truth? I didn't know why but there was hope in me.**

 **I quickly brushed it off.**

 **So what if Ana still felt the same way?**

 **I already moved on.**

 **~S.A.~**

" **Christian, can we talk?" She sounded much braver now.**

 **I was busy typing a few e-mails. I had a feeling that they all had something to do about this. It was just Ana and me in the mansion and it was really unusual. I had a feeling that Taylor was helping Gran too.**

" **Christian?" she spoke my name and that's when I looked up.**

" **Can't you see I'm busy?"**

 **She was clutching the lower part of her dress when she stepped forward until we were only a meter apart.**

" **I know that you are angry with me for everything I did but can you please hear me out?"**

 **I gave her a sarcastic smile as I shut my laptop harshly, not caring if it got broken. I stood up and smiled bitterly, "Okay, let's you hear you out! What do you have to say? Is this the part when you tell me that Becky's not sick at all? Is this when you tell me that you are sorry? Because Ana? I. Don't. Care."**

" **I know you care, Christian. I know you do," she sounded firm despite the fact that she was about to cry.**

" **I don't, Ana. I don't, okay? I only care because we have a daughter. You don't care about that, right? You don't! Stop wasting my time, okay?"**

 **Then, she blurted out of nowhere, "I love you, Christian."**

 **I turned silent then. Something inside me came alive no matter how hard I've tried to turn my heart into stone.**

 **She repeated, "I love you."**

 **The quietness between us ended in laughter since I laughed at her sarcastically. This was all a joke. The younger me would be lovesick and head over heels! But this? This was a game to her.**

" **Why are you laughing?" She sounded betrayed.**

" **Because you're funny, Anastasia. You are funny! Three years? Three long years and wow!"**

 **She shook her head and maintained her composure, "I understand where you're coming from, Christian. Believe me, I blame myself for this. I am going to be unfair here. Even if you want to or not, I will prove my feelings for you. . . until the day I die."**

 **I rolled my eyes.**

" **You might not believe me but I will try my very best to win you back. I will try my hardest." She reached out to me but I avoided her touch. That's when she looked down the ground and started to cry.**

 **Fuck! I hated this!**

 **I hated seeing her this way!**

 **I didn't have any other choice though.**

 **Christian, you've moved on!**

" **One day, Christian, you'll forgive me. One day we will be back together and I won't stop winning you. I will never stop, remember that."**

" **Funny how you gave up before, Ana. You just flew to New York out of the blue! You even had papers ready because you were so excited to leave me! I am not stupid anymore, Anastasia. I am not!"**

" **I was planning to stay," she whispered.**

" **No, you weren't," I was losing it. I shook my head uncontrollably.**

" **I was planning to stay but Cara reminded me how you deserved so much better."**

 **Wait, what?**

 **I must have said it out loud because she responded her voice still shaking, "I went home that night and saw you and Cara through the window and . . . I felt so jealous. We met the next day and I interrogated her about your status and she told me how m-mentally unstable I am and that you deserve so much more than me."**

 **Her voice cracked up and I couldn't even move.**

 **They met up?**

 **She told Ana that?**

 **What?**

 **I couldn't breathe.**

 **Three years and Cara never told me?**

 **Ana took advantage of my immobilized state when she closed the space from us and pressed her lips to mine. I should've pushed her away and screamed that it wasn't rational. I couldn't forgive her despite. Yes, you could have stayed but you chose not to. If you really loved me, you would've stayed!**

 **Instead, I closed my eyes feeling every inch of her lips. After three years, I was found.**

 **Then she broke the kiss off and said, "I love you" before walking out of the room.**

 **I didn't know how long I stood there for. I didn't how to feel. It was all too much. Cara never told me that she was the one who triggered Ana's depression to go into extremes! That bitch! I trusted her like the dearest friend! Yes, Ana was wrong but it wasn't her place to make Ana feel like shit with her mental state.**

 **There was too much pain and the kiss? It was a revelation. I still cared for Ana.**

 **I punched the wall and screamed, "FUUUUUCK!"**

 **I hated to admit but I was nowhere near moved on.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for all of your reviews! Harsh or not harsh, it's appreciated. You help me grow!**

 **Margo.**


	34. Part 3 Chapter 6

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Cara and I were doing the video call and she was cradling her adopted child. She looked so exhausted yet content. I still frowned though. I didn't think I could look at her the same way after Ana's revelation.**

" **Christian, I know that it was wrong of me to tell her that she was mentally unstable but she needed to hear it. Look, she accused me of having an affair with you!" I understood her reasons but they weren't enough to make me feel sane about this situation.**

" **Cara, I know how you felt but you could've at least told her nicely. As far as I know, mental health is a serious issue and as one of its advocates, you should've known how to approach people who have it," I was firm and it caused her to look down the ground.**

 **There was heavy silence and all I could do was sigh.**

 **I added trying not to sound as angry as I am, "Why didn't you tell me about it for the past three years! Three years! Three years, Cara! Why?!"**

" **I'm sorry," that's all she could say.**

 **I shook my head out of frustration, "Cara, look, I trusted you, okay? I should've known what happened. Yes, it bothers me that she had a thought of me cheating with you but things could've changed if I only knew or if you didn't inculcate in her mind how horrible of a person she was!"**

" **Christian, really? Stop defending her!"**

" **I am not defen—"**

" **Yes, you are! Christian, you still love her, okay? You still do! You wouldn't be acting that way if you don't! Come on, you have been in denial. Who doesn't see the way you're still unhappy even though you have Andrea! Do you even remember that Andrea exists?"**

 **It was my turn to get silent and look down the ground.**

" **I am tired of your drama. If you two love each other just get back together. Simple as that! Life shouldn't be complicated anyway," she shut off her connection and I was left staring at the black screen. I hit the table hard with my palm but I didn't feel an ounce of pain.**

 **For the past three years, I lived as if I were a robot. If it weren't for the phone calls with Sierra every night then I wouldn't be feeling anything at all. She was the part of me that kept me alive. Truth to be told, I came back to being my older self. I became the selfish teenager who thought of nothing else but his empire and three years of success, I am still not happy.**

 **Needing some air I decided to go outside the guest room and take fresh air in the garden. However, I stopped on my tracks as soon as I passed by a shelf full of the story books Ana wrote. The names were written on the spine of the book and there one single story caught my eye.**

 **The book was slightly thin and the story was short. What made the book visually attractive was the art. It was clearly intended for kids. My heartbeat accelerated as soon as I read the story page by page.**

 _Jumping Jack_

 _by Anastasia Rose Steele_

 _Once there was a little boy named Jack and he was the famous jumper in the city. He could jump to the highest tower and when he had the energy, he could jump all the way to outer space. Once he took his beloved mother to see the planet Mars up close. Oh Jack! He was a legend._

 _Everything changed when Jack used his jumping abilities to stomp on a frog. The poor little thing went flat and Jack laughed._

 _Then, it turned out that the frog he killed was the pet of the city's witch. She was so angry that she cried and turned Jack into a frog. Then, she grabbed her tennis racket and threw him all the way to outer space where he landed on the moon._

 _Poor Jack spent the years alone feeling sorry for being so mean to people and taking advantage of his jumping abilities. After fifty long years of Jack suffering alone in the moon, an astronaut came and he found a way to come back to earth. Not only did the astronaut helped him come home but he also brought with him scientific potions making him human again._

 _Fifty long years and Jack was human, wrinkled and grey yet still the same jumper._

 _Together with the astronaut, they went back to earth._

" _Thank you, Mr. Astronaut! I will go home to my mother now."_

 _He replied, "Jack, it has been fifty years. What if your mother's not around anymore?"_

" _Mr. Astronaut, sometimes you just have to believe," he said jumping his way back to their home._

 **Unlike her other stories, this one ended in a cliffhanger. It was almost as if there was a chance that the mother already died. We never really know. The cliffhanger wasn't the one that got me silent though.**

 **It was the memory of us a year before the night Sierra was conceived.**

"Christian, I really don't understand why you want to dissect a frog right at this moment!"

Ana and I were in our garden searching for frogs. Being the competitive one, I wanted to be a hundred steps ahead from everybody else. They were all about getting ready for the frog dissection on Biology next week but I'll be the one to do it first. At home. It was funny because Ana and I were crawling everywhere yet there wasn't any.

"Frog, come on! Show up, you fucker!" I was getting impatient.

"Jack? Jack?" Ana called out and that got me confused.

"Who the hell is Jack?"

Ana blushed, "Oh, Jack is the frog."

I laughed at that, "You named the frog Jack? What? Is he a lover of Rose or something?"

Ana laughed at that, "No, Jack is actually a great jumper."

Duh. "He's a frog, Ana."

"Well, he was human before but he did a huge mistake and he was sent to the moon and he repented for all of his sins . . ."

What Ana was talking about didn't make sense at all and she sounded really high. I guess that's why we're best friends. She was always the weird one and I was the one comfortable with weird people. I let her talk about her imagination while searching for the damn Jack . . . I mean, frog. Ugh!

"That's how it ended, Christian. He was trapped in the moon forever."

"Croak," said the frog I just found.

"Well, Ana, sometimes you just have to believe."

~S.A.~

 **When I confirmed that I already looked good enough, I called Taylor and we walked outside of the mansion. It was the day of the talent show and Sierra was going to share her poem. Whenever I asked her to share it to me, there's that shyness in her eyes. No, it's not shyness. It was discomfort. It's almost as if the poem was highly sensitive.**

 **Well, I'm pretty sure it'll be about butterflies or dogs or pink stuff.**

" **I'm pretty sure you know all the directions to Sierra's school, Taylor."**

" **Mr. Grey, look at the beautiful girl," he told me flashing a teasing smile and I froze as soon as I saw her.**

 **It was Ana in a turquoise dress. It was plain and simple and it had long sleeves. Her hair was flowing freely and I didn't realize how long they've gotten. They reached her hips already. It suited her well. The dress was knee length and she never looked more beautiful. I didn't even know that I was walking towards her until there was just small space between the two of us.**

" **You look dashing, Christian," she complimented.**

 **I didn't say anything. I wanted to tell her how beautiful she is and how amazing she looks but I kept it to myself.**

" **I have something for you," her hands were hidden in her back the whole time and I didn't know how to respond when she revealed what she's been hiding. It was a single rose, red and beautiful. It was like the ones I gave her before.**

 **Half of the stem was already cut though since she put it inside my pocket, the neck of the rose resting on the edge of the pocket on my chest. She arranged my bow tie too and looked up to smile at me.**

" **Let's go?" She said and it occurred to me that I haven't said anything at all.**

" **Sure," I told her.**

 **We sat next to each other on the backseat while Taylor drove. He seemed to be really interested and I will definitely punch him for this. It's obvious that he's on Ana's side right now. I'll make this man pay.**

 **Ana was speaking wondrously, "Grandpa already took Sierra to school and we're so interested to hear her poem. I bet it's all about Juliana or Barbie."**

" **Yeah, I'm excited too," I sounded like I didn't mean what I said but I meant it.**

 **Ana must have misinterpreted so she turned quiet.**

 **I blurted out, "I read your story, Jumping Jack."**

" **You did?"**

" **You remember it? I checked the date of the book and it was written two years after we got divorced."**

 **She wasn't like the Ana during our marriage. She said things directly now.**

" **There are times when I miss you so much that I lock myself in the memories of the past. I'll never forget that moment when you found Jack and later killed him. It was the first time someone told me that life could have a happy ending.**

 **There are times when I miss you I call you again and again but you don't have time to talk to me. I need to hear your voice and . . . come back to you."**

" **Why didn't you?"**

 **She looked almost betrayed, "Why do you always deny things, Christian? I know you know I always call but—"**

" **Yes, you call but you're not worth talking to," I spat.**

 **She winced but continued, "—but you don't have to deny that you know I came back to Seattle."**

 **That was another revelation. What? She came back? I didn't know how to respond. This was all a tangled web and I didn't know what to do anymore.**

 **I almost asked her why but we already arrived in Sierra's school and she went out of the car first.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **We were a little bit late and Ana was kind of mad at me so I didn't push the "came back to Seattle" claim although I was becoming so crazy about it.**

 **Sierra's school catered middle school students and high school students as well. Sierra was the tenth to perform and being the Mayor's family, we were in front. We were nervous for her but we know she could nail it.**

 **There were lots of hip-hop and some interpretative dance as well. The weirdest one was a little girl made her cat count up to one hundred. It was hard to explain. The performance before Sierra was two seniors in high school dancing an acrobatic ballet. The song had a great tune and it was pleasing, added to the natural talent of the two youngsters.**

 **Then, Ana held my hand almost as if she was telling me that her feelings were all expressed through the song. I looked at her and she was looking emotional as she watched the two dancing. I listened closely to the lyrics of the song.**

 _ **I've watched those eyes light up with a smile,**_

 _ **River in the not good times**_

 _ **Boy, you taught me all that I've known.**_

 _ **I've seen your soul grow just like a rose,**_

 _ **Made it through all of those thorns,**_

 _ **Boy into the man I know.**_

 _ **And it's killing me to say that I'm fine**_

 _ **What I really mean to say is:**_

 _ **You're my all and more, all I've known you taught me**_

 _ **You're my all and more but I need room to breathe**_

 _ **I found New York laying in your arms,**_

 _ **We'd melt into the bedroom floor,**_

 _ **Never knew I'd stay for so long.**_

 _ **And this truth cuts**_

 _ **Not through one but both**_

 _ **Not through on me but both of us**_

 _ **But it's deeper if I hold on**_

 _ **You're my all and more, all I've known you taught me**_

 _ **You're my all and more but I need room to breathe**_

 **The song took me back to the past. I did believe that Ana and I always had an unexplainable connection. Sometimes I just knew what's on her mind. Right now, she was almost telling me that these were the words she wanted to say when the two of us ended.**

 **Instead of letting go, I held her hand tighter.**

 **Then, it was Sierra's turn to speak and everybody thought she was so cute. She was really small and just like her mother, she was wearing a turquoise dress too. She looked nervous and she avoided looking at both Ana and me.**

 **I had a bad feeling about this.**

" **Hello!" Her voice was so small that everybody just "awwwed".**

" **My name is Sierra Grey and I have a poem. I wrote it when I was three."**

" **Wow!" The audience exclaimed in unison.**

" **This poem was edi-edited buy my teacher because I had wrong grammar."**

 **Everybody just laughed.**

 **When the laughter toned down, she took a breath before finally reading her poem.**

 _ **Four Feet**_

 _ **There is always four feet**_

 _ **There are my feet and mommy's feet**_

 _ **Our feet step on the street**_

 _ **Me and Mommy, Mommy and me**_

 _ **There is always four feet**_

 _ **There are my feet and Daddy's feet**_

 _ **When I visit Seattle street**_

 _ **Me and Daddy, Daddy and me**_

 _ **There is always four feet**_

 _ **Always four feet**_

 _ **Juliana has four feet!**_

 _ **My dog has four feet!**_

 _ **Gran Gran asked me what my wish is**_

 _ **I said I want six feet**_

 _ **I want my feet, Mommy's feet, Daddy's feet**_

 _ **Walking on one street**_

 _ **But it is always four feet**_

 _ **In New York, I wish for Daddy's feet**_

 _ **In Washington, I wish for Mommy's feet**_

 _ **If Father God won't give me six feet,**_

 _ **At least four feet is better than two feet**_

 _ **Not Mommy, Daddy, and Sierra**_

 _ **But it's Mommy and Sierra**_

 _ **Or Daddy and Sierra**_

 _ **At least it's just not Sierra.**_

 **The hall was extremely silent then. No one dared to make noise. Sierra looked down and cried.**

 **What have we done?**

 **A/N: It was a huge challenge for me to make the poem sound like a poem coming from a kid.**

 **Also: the song is Breathe by Lauv and I DON'T OWN IT. You should listen to it.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Margo.**


	35. Part 3 Chapter 7

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The applause was dramatically gradual before it reached its loudest peak. Audience were clearly amused. Being the strong girl she was, Sierra wiped away her tears and held her head up high so proud of the poem she's written.**

 **Ana and I . . . we were a different story. While everybody else stood completely dazed by the bizarre talent she showed as a four year old, the two of us were ashamed. No, we're not ashamed because of our daughter but we're ashamed of what we did to her. I felt so selfish. I didn't even realize that she was carrying the load of the effect of our separation.**

 **We thought we were the one in pain. In fact, it was our daughter.**

 **It must have been mother's instinct when Ana immediately stood up and ran to the stage. She pulled Sierra in for a tight hug and that's when our little girl broke down. I couldn't even look at the two of them. I just looked down.**

 **This was a huge mess.**

 **Looking to my right, Mayor was still sitting as if he were feeling the same way as I did. It didn't take long before he glanced up to me and shared a sympathetic look.**

 **I blamed Ana.**

 **I blamed me.**

 **I blamed us.**

 **Because of us, our daughter's hurting. God knows how long she's been hurt.**

 _~S.A.~_

 _That night Sierra and I were on her bed while Juliana rested her head against my daughter's lap. Sierra absent-mindedly soothed the Great Dane's head and it's as if the dog felt every inch of hurt Sierra's facing. I couldn't bear what happened in her school. I just can't._

" _Sierra, darling, Mommy and Daddy love you, do you know that?"_

 _She slowly nodded and innocently answered with another question, "But do you love each other?"_

" _I love your Daddy," that's what I answered._

 _She looked down the dog and said, "Carson is my best fwend now. He told me his parents are divorced too. His Mama is in New York and his Papa in Canada. He says it's farther than Washington and he says he has a new Daddy. Mommy, will I have a new Daddy?"_

 _The way her eyes shimmered as she asked the question was breaking me into tiny fragile pieces. She looked like an angel who had broken wings. I have always written sad stories but it was never about her. All of her stories were hopeful, vibrant, and energetic but never sad._

 _That's when I increased our proximity and I enveloped her with my tightest hug. I kissed her face again and again assuring her all my love._

 _My own voice broke when I said, "I am sorry for everything, Sierra. You don't deserve this. I'm sorry that Mommy wasn't strong enough to forgive Daddy when he showed him all his love. I'm really sorry that it got to this point. I know you don't understand but I'm so sorry that it got to this point. I love you so much, my dear. I do. You know what Mommy promises?"_

" _What?" she whispered._

" _You will only have one Daddy and that's Daddy Christian, okay?"_

 _Then, she just asked the hardest question, "Will I have a new mommy?"_

 _I knew that Cassiopeia or Andrea existed but as of this point, she seemed to be like a cloud—I knew of her existence but she wasn't put much attention to. I knew she was going to be a problem but I'll make sure to rebuild this family._

 _I was taking a huge risk when I told my daughter, "No, I will always be your Mom."_

 _That's when all of her fears were stopped. I never knew she and Carson talked about stuffs like this. They should be talking about toys and schools and not the realities they were living. I couldn't blame these children though._

 _Sierra yawned and asked, "Can you sing Daddy's song?"_

" _What song?"_

" _Unchained Mewdy?"_

 _I gave her a soft smile and started singing, "Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch a long lonely time. And time goes by so slowly and time can do so much. Are you still mine? . . ." I sang the song three times until she finally fell asleep._

 _I gave her a kiss and smiled sadly at Juliana._

 _The big dog looked incredibly sad too after witnessing the complicated things occurring. Interestingly enough she fell asleep next to Sierra as if she was protecting her—as if she wanted her not to be hurt anymore but couldn't do anything._

" _Ana?"_

 _I turned around and there's Christian standing by the door looking completely dishevelled. Like me, he too was distraught about the shocking poem Sierra recited. I didn't know how long he's been standing there but he looked so lost._

" _Can we go out for a walk?"_

 _How could I say no?_

 _~S.A.~_

 _Times like these reminded me of how simple life was three years ago. Christian and I were walking under the night sky by the glow of the pavements. As the city that never sleeps, there were still a lot of people but it was quiet enough for us to talk when we were walking underneath a few rows of trees._

 _There were no bodyguards._

 _It was like he's not a CEO._

 _It was as if I wasn't the Mayor's granddaughter and an author._

 _We were Christian and Ana. Just once again._

 _I was wearing his coat which still had the rose and I frowned as soon as I realized it was on the process of withering. Christian, on the other hand, was restless. His hair was a mess and his clothes looked like they were never ironed. His tie was gone too._

 _He faced me and with a hardened expression he asked, "Why didn't you fight for us? Why did you easily believe Cara? Why didn't you tell me that you met?"_

" _What do you expect? I was only beginning to trust you but—"_

" _You never trusted me!"_

" _No, I did. I did but you know how breakable my trust was. You knew how hurt I was when you first told me about her. You knew how you thought of her while having sex for the first time with me and you knew that I will always look at her as the girl you've had feelings for before. You can't just expect me to believe that you and her are just friends! Or if you respected me enough as your wife, then you wouldn't have talked to her at all!"_

 _He was glaring at me but he couldn't find the words to rebut._

 _I put my hands inside the pocket of his coat and told him, "You always chose your friendship with her over your marriage with me."_

 _Christian shook his head repetitively before finally admitting, "I am sorry about that . . . I didn't know the impact it had on you but . . ."_

" _If you're so sorry then why do you still sound like you're mad?"_

" _Why didn't you come to Seattle when I had an accident? I was hit by a vehicle because I was losing my mind I didn't know the light hit green. My shoulder's damaged permanently. Basically, I cannot move it full force."_

 _I suddenly felt dizzy._

 _What?_

 _Accident?_

 _Vehicle?_

 _Damaged Shoulders?_

 _That's when he yelled, "ANSWER ME!"_

" _I didn't know you were in an accident, Christian. I didn't know you were! When?"_

" _Don't you fucking lie to my face, Anastasia! Mia called to inform you about what happened and you never came. Remember? She called you four months after you moved to New York?"_

 _Oh no. It can't be._

" _Christian . . . four months? I-Iwas there in Seattle."_

" _You were?" He suddenly whispered, astonish as I was._

" _I came back to Seattle to talk to you and . . . your family told me that you wanted to do nothing with me. That was the first week of September. I didn't believe them, of course and they sounded like they didn't want me to talk to you because I r-ruined you and it's best for me to stay away."_

" _You gave up just like that?"_

" _No, I didn't! I didn't, Christian. I asked everybody in town where you are and they told me you went out for a school trip. I waited in our house for a week but you never came. I went back to New York since Sierra needed me. I left a letter though, on your study table, the one you always used so you can see it when you come back. I included my mailing address. You weren't answering any text messages or calls or e-mails so I did the old school stuff._

 _Three days after, I received a message in New York with your handwriting saying that you don't love me anymore and that you're tired of me."_

 _Both of us seemed to experience nausea._

 _Then something inside Christian lit up, "First week of September . . . Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He kept on cursing not caring if anybody else passed by._

 _I was only standing, completely shocked._

" _Mia . . . fucking Mia. My family . . . fuck! Ugh!" He punched the tree, completely frustrated._

 _When he was calm, he looked straight into my eyes, "Ana, I was in coma that week you came to Seattle and no, there wasn't any school trip. I was in an accident."_

 _I totally got it. I totally got what happened._

 _They told Christian I knew about it and I didn't care._

 _They bribed the whole town not to tell me where he is._

 _He was out so all of his stuff were under their possession and they managed to erase all messages coming from me._

 _They wrote that letter._

 _That's when tears come out from my eyes. No . . . no . . . I was crying again. Crying for me. Crying for Christian. Crying for Sierra._

 _He finally asked, "Why did you come back after four months?"_

" _Because I realized it was a huge mistake. I wanted to get you back and ask for your forgiveness."_

 _It didn't take long before he started joining me in weeping._

 _We've lost all these years._

 **Author's Note: Thank you for the 70 reviews last chapter.**

 **I expect negative responses for the drama but I love the drama.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Margo.**


	36. Part 3 Chapter 8

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 8**

 **So many lies.**

 **So many deceits.**

 **So many people wanting to keep us apart.**

 **I didn't know why but the odds weren't always on our side. Yes, we were at fault. We had been so immature in the past and even until now. For some reason, there had always been a push and pull between us. The saddest part was that when we try to work things out, strange things will occur. Those who never wanted us to be together would always find a way to tear us apart.**

 **Not now. Not anymore. Not ever.**

 **A pang of pain struck my heart as I've realized that Sierra was the most affected because of all the drama between Ana and me. To be honest, "us" is just not about Ana and me, it's about the three of us.**

 **There were so many things I needed to do. I wanted to hurt all of my family members for ever setting us apart and putting us in our misery. I wanted to hate myself for the lack of faith towards Ana. I wanted to hate Ana because of the roller coaster ride she caused. I also wanted to curse this situation because life shouldn't be so messy like this.**

 **But with my daughter—my little butterfly, there's neither room nor space for hatred. I needed to be the best person I can be for her. She's the girl who affected every aspect of my life. Because of her, I urged to strive as a great man, father, and businessman.**

 **I needed to be the best Christian Grey, so hatred must be dealt with later.**

 **Sierra always comes first.**

 **After I have checked on my company, I grabbed my phone and took a deep breath before dialling Andrea's number. It rang and rang and I didn't even realize that she was currently on tour. She's in Puerto Rico right now. Her 'Cassiopeia: A Star to Behold' World Tour was earning massive of millions and I really was a bad boyfriend for never calling her.**

 **I left her a voicemail.**

" **Andrea, I am really sorry for everything. You've been so good with me, so great really but I cannot do this anymore. I am so sorry. I really am. I hope the best for you."**

 **Then I turned my phone off and bowed down my head. I felt so guilty for breaking her heart, but I knew that it was for the best. She had always given me all of her best efforts but I couldn't ever give mine.**

 **I think that's part of why life's so complicated and why some people seem to be so unhappy. Guilt is mistaken for love. The best relationships are "I love you because I love you" and not "I love you because you love me." If relationships were all like that and there's a higher chance they will last.**

 **You can't ever stay with someone because of guilt.**

 **Then I raised my head up at the same time the sun spread its ray across the room.**

 **Today signals a new day.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **Tiny footsteps were heard followed by louder ones. I was becoming so fidgety. Three long years since I've cooked this much food and cared how it will be judged. Becky and Mayor were already sitting, looking like they've seen a ghost. They were really shocked that I was being like this, guard down.**

" **Daddy?! OHHHHHH! FOOOD!" Sierra screamed with so much joy and Juliana barked loudly and jumped. Sierra sat on her chair and smelled all the food I've prepared. There were a lot, to be frank: bacons, hotdogs, sausages, eggs, name it and it's there as long as it falls under the category of breakfast.**

" **You cooked all of these, Daddy?"**

" **Yes, baby," I kissed her forehead and she hugged so tight.**

" **Hey, what's going on—oh . . ." Ana stepped foot inside the kitchen and couldn't believe her eyes. In fact, she wiped her eyes first before fully recognizing that she went inside a room for breakfast festival.**

 **F0r the first time since I've arrived in New York, it didn't hurt looking at her. I eyed her from head to toe and she was far from perfect. Her hair was the worst kind of haystack, her lips cracked, her eyes still sleepy, and her breath probably smelled gross. Yet, she's the most perfect girl I've ever seen.**

 **She'll never understand but it's true.**

" **Let's eat?" I asked while pulling a chair out for her.**

 **Her grandparents were both shocked while Sierra can't help but blush. I've noticed just now that she and her mother seemed to be like twins especially when their cheeks were equally red. Ana sat down, looking shy as if we were teenagers.**

" **Wow! Christian, this is . . . wow!" Ana was lost in words as all of us were eating.**

" **Today we're going out. Just you, me, and Sierra," I announced and she looked at me in awe. Sierra, on the other hand, screamed in so much happiness.**

" **Oh my Gosh! I am so happy hearing that! That's awesome!" Becky expressed then later shifted her voice saying the same thing. She added three unconvincing coughs.**

" **Becks, don't need to pretend, okay? I know you're not sick."**

 **She looked like I slapped her, "WHAT?! SINCE WHEN?!"**

" **Since the day I came here," I answered and I swore she wanted to cry.**

 **In one of the rarest moments, Mayor was laughing so much his stomach hurt. "See? Dear, Christian knew it since the first day. That means I won the bet."**

" **What bet?" I questioned.**

" **If I was right that you weren't fooled by Becky, then we would go to a classical concert full of 1800's music. If it's the other way around then we'd be attending the concert of** _ **The Chainsmokers**_ **."**

" **Ugh! I hate music like those! It makes me feel so old!" Becky was acting like a child.**

" **You are old, Gran Gran. Very old. Like a hundred years old!" My daughter dropped a huge shade on her great grandmother. We all laughed at how insulted Becky looked but just rolled her eyes. Only Sierra's allowed to call her old.**

 **I glanced at Ana and we laughed at each other. Then, I noticed that there was catsup just at the right corner of her mouth. My thumb wiped it and I almost got electrocuted with our skins touching.**

 **Her eyes sparkled, telling me she felt it too.**

 **We looked at the three of them and they looked so happy especially Sierra whose blush were added up with giggles.**

 **Everything seemed okay after three long years.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **We spent the entire day roaming around New York but lingered longer in the park.**

 **Of course, bodyguards surrounded us but it was fine. The car ride was really funny as Sierra never went out of it if I didn't memorize "How Far I'll Go" from Moana. She told me that she's Moana and Juliana's HeiHei. It bummed me knowing that that character wasn't a dog but a chicken.**

" **See the line where the sky meets the sea, it's amazing!"**

" **Daddy, NO! You are wrong! It calls me! That's correct. It's amazing is wrong! Sing it again!"**

 **Instead of helping me out, Ana just laughed. Wow. Her entire body shook as I struggled memorizing a Disney song. Sierra was really angry. I never thought being a father required too many talents. First, I was working for her imaginary salon combing Barbie's hair and now I was a singer about the sea and sailing.**

 **Well, she's the boss.**

 **After an hour and thirty minutes, I finally memorized it and three of us sang it together. It's unfair how Ana already memorized the song.**

 **We lingered mostly in the park. It wasn't just the three of us since Juliana was around too. Apparently, she's Sierra's best friend. The only time Sierra allowed Juliana to be away was when she needed to go to school. She understood that dogs were not allowed to study. We were chasing each other on the green grass and Juliana always came to the point of licking me.**

 **The laughter was a sound automatically recorded in a diary. The happiness that we experienced while playing like little kids, like a family was something to never forget.**

 **We sat down for a picnic and Sierra was sitting on my lap, Juliana on Ana's.**

" **Your dog's special, isn't she? She has four legs!"**

" **Wow!"**

 **Ana, being the storyteller she is, said, "Sierra, Juliana has two arms and two legs!"**

" **Where did she come from Mommy?"**

 **I answered it, "You see, Sierra. There's this thing called pregnancy and Juliana was a puppy who came out of her mother. Let's just say she was inside her mother's stomach for a while before she came out in this earth."**

 **That made Sierra think so much. I realized Ana was scowling at me. Damn! Shit! I got too scientific on her.**

" **If Juliana was in her mother's tummy, was I in Mommy's tummy too?"**

" **Yes, you were," I answered.**

" **How did I get there?"**

 **I coughed not knowing how to respond. She's too young to learn about sex!**

 **Ana saved the day with her wide imagination, "Well, your daddy gave me a magical seed and you grew inside me."**

 **I couldn't help but laugh. It sounded like it's for kids but there was an innuendo.**

" **Well, okay!" Sierra let it all go and we spent the rest of the day playing with the slides and swings.**

 **The seesaw was really fun.**

 **We were family.**

 **~S.A.~**

 **The night replaced the day and the three of us were completely knock out.**

 **The three of us were lying on Sierra's bed, muscles aching because of the active well-spent day. Sierra was between Ana and me and we were hugging her. Despite her sleep eyes she looked beneath the blanket and gave a goofy smile.**

" **What is it, Sierra?" Ana's voice was drowsy.**

" **Mommy, there's six feet! You and Daddy and me!"**

 **My heart swelled. I kissed her cheek and promised, "It will always be six feet, Sierra."**

 **Ana gave me a meaningful look but she was too tired to care. She fell asleep almost at the same second as Sierra did.**

 **I looked at my girls and recalled this day. I've never been this happy in all of my life.**

 **My hands extended to reach Ana's hairstrands. I played with them for a while and that's when I completely swallowed my pride and realized that I've never stopped loving her. She's always been it for me.**

 **We played the seesaw today and I never thought it would give meaning.**

 **We have always been a seesaw, Ana and me. She goes down with her feelings then I go up. I go down then she goes up. There was the lack of timing and a matter of opposites. Never up and up, and never down and down. The seesaw kind of love. Then, Sierra sat in the middle of the seesaw then there was balance.**

 **We were seeing eye to eye, neither up nor down at the same time but balanced.**

 **She loves me, and I love her.**

 **I'll work this out. We'll work this out.**

 **Those were my thoughts before falling asleep.**

 **Author's Note: Thanks to all of you who inspire me to write this story.**

 **This is the lightest chapter I've ever written!**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Margo.**


	37. Part 3 Chapter 9

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 9**

" _Sierra, I want you to behave when you're with Gran-Gran and Gramp-Gramp, okay?" My little girl nodded after giving her the instruction. Since the family day we had two days ago, she had been nothing but joyous. She beat Juliana's energy completely._

 _Carson's throwing a birthday party and it required wearing costumes. I insisted on going with Sierra but both my grandparents claimed that they really want to be there instead. They hadn't done this in a long time, and being the understanding granddaughter I just agreed. I totally trusted them with Sierra._

 _My daughter insisted on wearing a yellow gown like Belle and she never even watched Beauty and the Beast. It was Gran's idea for Juliana to wear a Mrs. Potts costume. She's a dog teapot._

 _Sooner than later, Christian descended the stairs and beamed as soon as he saw Sierra looking so much like Belle in her yellow gown. However hard it was to run while wearing it, she still found her way in Christian's arms. He spun her around and she just said, "Daddy!" for like a million times._

 _I, on the other hand, can't stop smiling at the two. The sight of Christian in his striped pyjamas and white T-shirt carrying our four year old in a Belle gown was like a fairy tale come true._

" _Good morning, Ana," he greeted tenderly._

 _I said with the same level of energy, "Back at you, Mr. Grey."_

" _Why are you dressed up like Belle? Didn't you like Moana more?" he asked our daughter as he put her back on the ground._

" _Daddy, Carson's dressed up like the Beast so I have to dress up like Belle!"_

 _Uh-oh! I covered my mouth, stopping myself from laughing at Christian's reaction. If he were wearing the Mrs. Potts costume of Juliana, he'd look like a boiling teapot. He was so angry since his four year old appeared to have a crush on someone._

" _Young lady, did this young man tell you to wear that gown?" He acted as if Sierra was a teenager and what made me laugh was that Sierra didn't even feel that her father was angry, pretty damn protective of her._

" _No, Daddy. I want to wear it myself because I don't want anyone else to be Carson's Belle."_

 _Double uh-oh._

 _Christian was shocked and completely looking dizzy. He couldn't believe that Sierra was totally liking Carson. As a mother, it fascinated me and I was confident that it was just a little crush and Sierra would get over it. Well, Christian didn't think so. He almost did a sermon but thankfully Grandpa came out wearing his costume._

" _Hello Gramp-Gramp! Who are you?" Sierra was confused._

 _We were too._

 _Before answering the question, Gran came out too and she didn't look happy._

" _You know what? I won the bet so not only do I have a say on which concert to go to but I also get to choose what costume we're going to wear!"_

 _Gran crossed her arms, wanting to kill my grandfather on the spot._

 _Grandpa explained further, "We really want to portray famous couples. She wanted us to be Beach Ken and Beach Barbie, but that doesn't work for me. So we're the famous couple, Joseph and Mary today. I think it really suits our age. Uhm . . . Dennis?"_

 _Dennis appeared with a donkey and it made it even more real. Christian and I were laughing so hard. They were wearing these really old looking khaki fabric and Gran so covered like how Virgin Mary should be. Yes, Granp's religious and he never really liked celebrities so it shouldn't be a surprise that Mary and Joseph were his favourite couple._

" _Ha-ha!" Gran rolled her eyes, sarcastic about the entire thing._

 _We never stopped laughing until they've said goodbye and left for the party. When the laughter faded, I looked at Christian and realized that we're all alone in the house._

 _~S.A.~_

 _By noon, the two of us sat on the porch looking at the wide lawn before us. Grandpa came from really old money and I wasn't surprised about the luxury. What surprised me was that they were too humble despite their social status._

" _So . . . hi," Christian said awkwardly as he sat right next to me._

" _Hi," I barely whispered. I was acting like a teenager with my heart pounding in my chest._

" _So uhm . . . a costume party, huh? And a boy, huh?"_

" _Oh Christian, don't worry about it. Sierra and Carson are best friends and I'm pretty sure it's just a silly little crush."_

" _Now. It's a silly little crush now. But what about the next ten years?" He looked pretty worried that it was almost too funny. He wasn't like this. He's really cool and calm, but Sierra kept on changing him._

 _After a little laughter, I said, "You know what I'm going to wear if I went to the costume party with her?"_

" _What?"_

" _I'm going to be Wonder Woman."_

 _With the mention of the superhero, Christian eyes told me that he could recall every moment of it. This mean girl was aiming to embarrass me but Christian appeared in a Superman costume, saving the day. I'll never forget that moment. I'll never forget how we shared a kiss in a theatre room._

" _Ana?" Something about his whole demeanor changed._

" _Christian?"_

 _He looked right through me and his grey eyes had never been this much intense. I used to describe them as storms, but now they're a hurricane._

" _I am really sorry."_

" _No, Christian, don't be—"_

" _Don't tell me that I'm not supposed to be the one to say sorry and that you should be because no, Ana, it's never been that way. If a relationship fails, then both sides had their own faults and I apologize for mine._

 _I was never sensitive towards you each time I enjoyed Cara's company. I know that we're just friends and nothing more, but there was history and it will always hurt you. I've hurt you the most possible way with Cara and I definitely understand now why it always affected you. I am so sorry for not realizing it sooner."_

 _I gave him a little smile before I reached out to hold his hand._

" _Christian, it's okay. I forgive you. I hope you forgive me too. I hope you'll forgive every bad decision I've made and for tearing our family apart in the first place. I was so selfish."_

 _He shook his head and smiled, "You've been selfless all your life, Ana. It was about time for you to do something for yourself. You were too broken and I couldn't fix you."_

" _I don't think I'm completely fixed."_

" _There's always be a part of us that will remain broken, but I love you for it."_

 _That's when my eyes lit up and my heartbeat accelerated. Wait . . . was he . . . is he saying . . . Oh no, I was speechless._

 _He cupped both my cheeks and said, "Ana, I love you. I have never stopped loving you. You're the answer why it will never work out with anything else in life. It's always been you. You are it. I love you. I always did. I always will."_

" _Christian . . ." Tears heavily poured down my eyes and I proceeded to attaching my lips to his. I tasted his lips and brought me back home. Our lips moved in synchronization and it was too intense. His tongue asked for permission and I granted him access. Our tongues swirled and they danced for the gap that aged for three years._

 _This was something brand new._

 _When we pulled away, Christian gave me a small kiss on the cheek then whispered in my ear, "I love you."_

 _I was in heaven. I couldn't speak._

 _He added, "Come to Seattle with me. Please. Just for a little while."_

 _I didn't know why he asked me to but I nodded and we continued to kiss for what it seemed like forever. There were too many kisses shared and words said. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sat on his lap, feeling content and in nirvana that it's us again._

" _Christian?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _In case it wasn't clear . . . I love you too. So much."_

 _He smiled and kissed my lips._

 **Author's Note: Six chapters to go and the story ends.**

 **THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!**

 **Margo.**


	38. Part 3 Chapter 10

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 10**

 _Seattle's the same. The fog and the gloom were dominant but that was the beauty of it. As Taylor drove us, I can't help but feel nostalgic upon noticing the trees flashing by my eyes. There were people walking, but overall it felt as if it had been filtered in greyscale to represent a flashback in my life._

 _I was here now. The last time I've been here was three years ago when I attempted to get Christian back, then everybody lied to my face. I swore we'll never be happy in this town._

 _I didn't know why we're here. I already missed Sierra since we told her kids aren't allowed for their meeting._

 _Then I glanced at Christian whose brows creased as he discussed business matters over the phone. He was sitting beside me in the backseat, obviously stressed but keeping it calm on the outside. As he was raising his voice over somebody on the phone, I focused on his beautiful face instead. He just made me so alive and I couldn't even believe that we're back together now._

 _I reached out to take a hold of his hand and that's when his anger transformed into a softer expression. He lifted my hand to give my knuckles a kiss._

 _Who cares what we're doing here in Seattle? I'll be wherever he is._

 _~S.A.~_

 _We arrived in Christian's bachelor pad and it was totally him as the interior design screamed sophistication. Every single corner and space was clean, not even a molecule of dust. I turned around and got amazed by the painting hanging on the wall. It was dark yet I could see them. They were meaningful art and of course, Sierra's huge portrait was the most visible._

" _Lights are out," Christian announced in dismay but I wasn't affected._

 _Regardless of the power shortage, I could still appreciate the beauty of his new home. I kept roaming around, seeing photos of Sierra everywhere. I felt Christian setting fire in the furnace and I quickly went near it, realizing just now that I have been feeling cold._

 _As I stood up and rubbed my hands together, I saw a frame that made me pause. I was completely shocked as I saw our wedding photo. He kept it all this time? I touched the picture through the glass of the frame. We were so much younger, forced into a marriage we didn't want. We both looked unhappy._

" _You kept it all this time?" I breathed._

 _My eyes were completely glued to our picture and with little light; I could see millions of memories. It just felt so surprising how he never threw our wedding photo. I didn't hear him respond verbally. Instead, I could count his footsteps getting louder step by step._

 _Such sensations swallowed me as he swept my brown hair over to one side and started kissing my exposed neck. My mouth was open and my breathing went too fast, heartbeat matching the rhythm as well. He trailed slow, wet kisses up and down my neck and I almost lost it when he started sucking on my nape._

 _As I got lost into the feeling, he took off my clothes starting with my coat and then with my white blouse. He stopped kissing my neck as he unclasped my bra and there I was, topless facing him with my back. His fingers traced my spine and I felt a familiar jolt that I've missed years. Both his hands were exploring the skin of my back and he grunted when he noticed my shivering._

 _His fingers were replaced with his lips and they kissed all the way down to the dimples located on the bottom of my spine. I felt him kneel down as he reached to my front as he unbuttoned my pants and he slid it all way down with my panties. I stepped out of them and he tossed them to the side, and I doubt I'll find them in this kind of dark where the only source of light was the night sky from the window and this fire before us._

 _His hands both grasped my butt cheeks almost painfully. It just felt so good that I moaned out loud._

 _Then, in one snap, he turned me around and his mouth was automatically on my pussy. He kissed it tenderly before he placed my right leg over his right shoulder and started attacking me down there. He was like an animal, making all the sounds—making it clear that he had missed me after all these years._

 _I closed my eyes and felt everything that he and I could give. I thrusted into his face and he was skilled himself. His tongue swirled inside me more wildly that the leg that was not on his shoulder was almost losing its strength. I moaned and moaned out loud as I finally came but he wasn't even done._

 _He pulled out for a second only to breathe then he lied down the ground and I was completely sitting on his face. This was the most erotic thing we'd ever done. I kept riding him and I almost lost it when his fingers joined in collaboration with his tongue. One finger. Two fingers. Three. I was coming undone._

 _I came yelling his name and he slowly removed me and gently put me on his right side. I was running out of breath yet I still managed to help him take off all of his clothes. It felt fair now that the two of us were equally naked, skins looking like a shade of orange because of the dancing fire in the furnace._

 _He kissed me feverishly that I could taste myself on him._

 _Then, I reached down to grab his long cock and wrapped my fingers around them. It was his turn to feel pleasured now. My fingers moved up and down, completely feeling his hardness. He wrapped his arms around me and his breath was tingling on my ear, grunting again and again. I made him feel even better when I started sucking his nape as well._

 _I knew he left me a kiss mark from what he did. Now we're even._

 _He was on the verge of letting it go when he removed my hand and knelt down this time, his cum shot all across my chest. I looked down and the hot white liquid was there then I moaned when his hands grabbed mine only to guide it as they spread across my chest. I moaned out loud, completely turned on. I felt him harden again._

 _Then he was on top of me, then just like three years ago he said, "I love you" before plunging into me and I was back to being found. We met thrust per thrust and scream per scream. He was so deep into me, reaching places I never even knew existed. I was in heaven and he was too. I had been lost but now I was found._

" _Christian . . . Christian . . . Christian!"_

 _I screamed as his thought increased in speed._

 _I came and after two minutes, he did too yet still insatiable._

 _He turned me so that my stomach was on the floor, he put my butt up higher and that's when he entered my pussy again, grunting feeling so much pleasure. I was so tired but this just felt so good. He grabbed my hair and pulled it to give me pleasure and not pain._

" _Come with me, my love. Come now!" He ordered and with that, we came together._

 _I was a limp as I lied down the ground giving him a soft smile._

" _I love you, Christian," I told him before falling asleep._

 _~S.A.~_

 _Uncomfortable. That's what I thought._

 _I woke up feeling very unusual. The lights were on but the fire still ignited in the furnace. I was naked with only white sheets wrapped around my body. Christian, on the other hand, wore loose pyjamas as he did something really weird._

" _What are you doing?"_

" _Good morning, Love. You were asleep for four hours. I didn't mean to wake you up," he said after giving me a passionate kiss._

 _I attempted to sit down but he claimed, "Hey! You'll ruin it. Just wait for a minute."_

 _What's going on? Why was he holding a palette and a paintbrush?_

" _I didn't know you paint," I said._

" _It's Sophie's. She's really good at it. She taught Sierra to paint last year."_

" _Right, Taylor and Gail's daughter. Sierra loves to talk about her."_

 _He smiled and then said, "A minute's over, you can sit and look at it."_

 _I looked down on my torso and gasped. Oh my . . . how many times did this man ever leave me speechless? My stretch marks were artfully transformed into stems of flowers and so many colors spluttered and my whole stomach became a canvas for a beautiful picture of nature. What amazed me more what that the stitches I got from the caesarean section four years ago turned into vines producing the most attractive wildflowers._

" _Christian, it's beautiful!"_

" _You are beautiful," he said it and he meant it._

" _No, Christian, you make me beautiful."_

 _With that, we fell into a deep kiss and then we were back to losing ourselves to each other._

 **Author's Note: Thank you for reading!**

 **Stay tuned because the next chapter will be their meeting with the Greys.**

 **Margo.**


	39. Part 3 Chapter 11

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 11**

 _While Christian's busy with his company, I took the chance to explore the streets of Seattle once again. It smelled of childhood and memories I didn't want to recall. Regardless of the unwanted flashbacks, I don't regret having them since they give me ideas for a new story. I haven't been writing for the past two months and I think I just found something to write about._

 _Life has definitely changed since I had two bodyguards with me as I explored. If Gran took charge then it would be twelve bodyguards and that's bizarre!_

 _I checked on Sierra this morning and she was really cute._

" _You never told me about the costume party, my love. How did it go?"_

 _She seemed unhappy when she answered, "I didn't like it, Mama."_

" _Why?"_

" _Another girl has the same Belle costume and I was so angwy!"_

 _My smile was unstoppable. Her crush on Carson was definitely entertaining. "You are still his Belle, Sierra. The two of you are best friends, remember? You don't have to get mad about it."_

" _Mama, I will marry him when I am old enough."_

 _Yikes! She must not tell Christian about this._

" _That's a secret between the two of us, baby." To be honest, I didn't take her words seriously. Both kids were just four years old and they'll grow up and their worlds will grow bigger. They'll meet somebody else and life will intervene. That was never the case for me though. It had always been Christian from the very beginning and no one else._

 _However big the world will get, it was always him._

 _As for Carson and Sierra, well there's a chance but no, Ana, stop thinking about it._

 _My thoughts came to a halt when I happened to pass by a small flower shop. The walls were glass and the sun rays exaggerated the colors of the flowers. What attracted me in the first place was the roses and how they were brilliantly arranged. I entered the shop without any hesitation._

 _I've been longing to get some roses from Christian, but he never gave me one even after we reconciled. Maybe this is another chance and roses weren't part of it? I really didn't know._

" _How may I help you, Ma'am?" The girl was a young Asian and I've never seen her before._

" _I'm just looking."_

 _I really loved to meet people and getting to know their stories so I added by asking, "What's your name and how long have you been here?"_

 _She told me that her name's Kim and that she's here for a foreign exchange program and she's working part time here in the flower shop. She told me how she's allergic to sunflowers and that's why she never stayed on the right corner. She's been working here for almost two months but said she'll stay longer since the owner's very kind._

" _You seem to be a huge fun of roses," she said._

" _They're actually my favourite," I mentioned._

" _We have an amazing story about the roses, Ma'am. Do you know Christian Grey? Well, before his company was built he was married and a college student. Anyway, he's with his wife named Anastasia Rose Steele and he gave her roses every day! Gosh! My boss swore he believed in love because of that. Mr. Grey made a promise to my boss that as soon as he gets his first batch of million dollars then he'll give it to this shop so that he'll get a rose everyday for his wife. That's like a lifelong supply!"_

 _I turned quiet, my eyes welling up._

" _It's so sad that they didn't end up together. They got divorced."_

 _One tear fell from my eye and I wiped it so fast she didn't even notice. "Kim, this shop will get a million dollars, I guarantee."_

" _How?"_

" _They are back together and they won't let go of each other again."_

" _H-how do you know that?"_

" _Because I am Anastasia Rose Steele," I introduced and the look on her face was priceless._

 _~S.A.~_

 _Christian held my hand so tightly all throughout the car ride. There's something going on and there's this energy that I can pick up from him. He was holding my hand, almost breaking it. All I can sense was anger._

 _Then, the car stopped in front of the Grey mansion. That's when it made sense. His anger was addressed to the members of his family. The Ana before Sierra would be too weak and too nice to ever confront them. But this was totally different._

 _They robbed what was supposed to be our happiness._

 _We stepped out of the car and I let Christian lead me inside. We practically marched all the way to the dining area. My heart was pounding, feeling overwhelmed about everything._

 _We made our entrance to their grand dining hall and they were very silent as they noticed that I was with Christian. They honestly look scared as they saw Christian's deadly glare. I took the time to scrutinize them. They appeared the same. Slightly older yet fabulous still. Ethan was sitting right beside Mia while Kate next to Elliott._

 _She's Ethan's older sister and I never thought she'd date Elliott._

 _The silence got interrupted when Christian started, "Hello family! Surprised?"_

 _Christian moved around but he never let go of my hand, "Three years. I trusted you for three years. I trusted everything that you said. I even told myself how I lucky I am to have you as someone to lean on but what did you do?"_

 _No one dared to speak._

 _He screamed on top of his lungs, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"_

 _Grace stood up furiously and said, "Christian, we did the best we could to save you. Why are you holding her hand? Christian, stop this!"_

" _DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! You never told me that she came back for me! You never told her about the accident! You're a fucking liar, Grace! You're a fucking liar!" Even I flinched at his words. His skin was red and I felt his pulse running in a marathon. His chest heaved up and down again. He almost wanted to attack everybody._

" _Christian, dear—"_

" _TELL ME!"_

" _Christian—"_

" _FUCKING TELL ME!"_

 _Grace wasn't the one who did. Carrick stood up and revealed, "We needed your money! Christian, we needed your money!"_

 _The two of us were dumbfounded._

" _What?" Christian finally uttered._

 _Carrick's fingers messed his hair up and sighed desperately when he explained, "Son, I am really sorry but you know that the business failed, right? My law firm failed and it wasn't enough to sustain our lifestyle. While you were in coma, we found out that the winner of the proposal was dethroned and that you were given the large money to build your business."_

 _My hand was on my mouth. They were all looking down except for Mia who was staring intensely at us._

 _Carrick added, "Son, we needed money. We needed to save the business. We needed you. We knew that you'd go to New York and have your own business there. That's why we didn't allow Ana to come back to your life._

 _We needed you more. I know it's selfish of us but we didn't have any other choice. We're drowning in debts and we were close to having nothing. You weren't able to notice it since we failed to communicate while you're married. We needed you, Christian, we needed you!"_

" _You needed me more than Ana and my daughter? At the expense of my family's happiness, you did that?"_

 _Carrick cried this time, "I am so sorry."_

 _I too felt so betrayed. I felt so hurt that money's the reason why. I looked at Elliott and Mia and they were without guilt. I instantly knew that they had other reasons to keep us apart. Grace and Carrick were a totally different story. I didn't expect them to disappoint Christian this way._

 _Christian was losing it. He spent the three years prioritizing Sierra, of course but he always helped his father sustained the law firm financially. In fact, he was a huge shareholder for the past three years. He gave them everything since he said it was time to forgive. They all fooled him. He was betrayed._

" _No, no, no, no . . ." Christian shook his head again and again and he completely lost it when he let go of my hand and rummaged his father. He attacked him but Elliott pulled him and took him somewhere to calm them down._

 _I almost followed them but Mia said, "Ana, can we talk?"_

 _~S.A.~_

 _We were on the front porch and I recalled how she told me stories about Ethan on this very spot. She was eyeing me from head to toe, looking nothing like the best friend (close to sister) I once had. She's much more beautiful as her hair reached her waist._

 _I wasted no time asking, "Why Mia?"_

 _She took a deep breath before saying, "Ana, my intention was genuine and it didn't involve money. Elliott's with me as well. You have to understand that you were just my best friend and Christian's my brother. That's a whole lot of difference."_

" _But—"_

" _Let me speak," she hissed._

 _I let her._

" _I saw him change into the man that I never thought he was. I saw him become the husband and father you and Sierra needed. He was so in love with you and I was so happy for him . . . but I came home one day and you broke his heart! Ana, you didn't know how broken he was. He lost himself because you took him with you. You took his heart with you. You took his daughter with you. Did you know that he was too lost that everything went downhill and he got hit by a van?! It was because of YOU. BECAUSE OF YOU. You didn't deserve to know because it was all because of you!"_

 _The two of us were crying right now._

" _Ana, you destroyed him. You destroyed my brother. While he was on coma and we found that he can't no longer use his shoulders to full extent, I swore to God I'll protect him from you. I found the right girl for him. Andrea was the one who drove the van and she loved him since the hit. It took way too long to convince him to date her but we were happy since we know Andrea's not like you!_

 _I'll just grab my popcorn and soda can as I watch you leave him again."_

 _I understood where she's coming from and it's hurtful to know that her trust was absent. I wanted to explain myself, to defend my reasons, and to persuade her in every aspect, but if she's really my best friend then she would have known it without my telling her._

 _Instead of battling fire against fire, I decided to value the old times. I recalled all those years of pure friendship with Mia._

 _Swallowing my pride, I finally replied, "Mia, I am so sorry for everything. Can you forgive me? I swear I'll never leave Christian again?"_

 _She shook her head "no" and there's nothing I can do about that._

 _It's weird to say this but because of this confrontation with Mia, I've grown to love Christian and Sierra even more than I possibly could. In this world of temporary people, they were the permanent ones and I thank God I have them._

" _Okay then," I set the dot before walking out._

 _~S.A.~_

 _Christian and I were very quiet as we've reached Escala and it was evident that he still hasn't gotten over the confession Carrick made._

 _I was setting plates for dinner when he wrapped his arms around me from behind, telling me that he needed a hug. I turned around and held him as tightly as I can. He was silent as he buried his face on my shoulder and I instantly teared up as I felt my sleeves getting wet. His back was shaking so I soothed it with my hand._

" _Christian?"_

" _Hmm?"_

" _Did we go all the way to Seattle to confront your family?"_

 _That's when he manned up and stopped crying. His eyes were still red but he managed to be composed. I didn't know why and how but he gathered strength in fast transition. He was completely different now. It's almost as if he was getting ready for something._

" _That's part of it, Ana," his voice was slightly hoarse yet better._

" _Then what's the reason why we're here?"_

" _Your father's dying, Ana."_

 _It was my turn then. I wetted his shoulder with my eyes._

 _Through the good and bad, we were there for each other. Always._

 _ **Author's Note: Four chapters to go and an epilogue and we're done.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading and for your reviews for the last chapter.**_

 _ **Margo.**_


	40. Part 3 Chapter 12

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 12**

" **You broke up with her over the phone? How can you do that? How can you seriously do that to my bestfriend?!" Mia barged into my office not caring that my personal assistant warned her not to. She kept on ranting about my breakup with Andrea as if she's the other half of the relationship.**

" **Mia, get out of my sight," my voice was calm despite the heat I was feeling inside.**

" **Christian, you can't tell me what to do, okay? Andrea's the one for you! Can't you see that? What did Ana do this time, huh? What did she do to make you change your mind?"**

" **Mia, get the fuck out of my sight!" I screamed but it didn't scare her off.**

" **You cannot do that to Andrea, okay? She has loved you ever since and she'll never ever hurt you! Honestly, you'd rather have a weirdo for a girlfriend and not a famous pop star? What the hell is wrong with you?!"**

 **That's it!**

" **GET OUT!" I flipped the table and she took a few steps back, utterly fazed of the anger I possessed. The papers were scattered all over the floor and the mug that contained my coffee broke into tiny pieces. I was breathing slowly but angrily towards her.**

" **You don't own my fucking life, Mia! You don't own me! You don't have a say in who I'm going to love! Listen, once you step out of this office you step out of my life! Do you understand me?! I've pulled my company out from Dad's law firm and I've pulled myself out from you. I was too stupid to trust you! I really was!"**

 **She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "She will leave you, Christian. Ana will leave you."**

" **Then, let her! I'll chase her each time she leaves."**

 **Mia didn't like my answer. She looked like she wanted to slap herself just to make sure she heard me right.**

 **My voice lowered down but remained ferocious, "You are no longer my sister, Mia. I am no longer Carrick and Grace's son. I am not Elliott's brother anymore. I'm not your family anymore. In fact, I've never been. I always felt like I didn't belong no matter how hard I tried. Ana and Sierra keep me going in this life."**

" **You are going to regret this!" Mia exclaimed rather dramatically with tears springing from her eyes.**

" **I won't, Mia and this is the last time you'll ever see me. I am going to move my company to New York City."**

" **Fine," she wiped her tears before stepping out from my office—before stepping out from my life.**

 **~S.A.~**

 _Dad has been battling cancer while I was away. He was diagnosed of stage 4 colon cancer just two years and six months ago._

 _I enumerated all the things he did wrong. He never defended me when Carla's trying to hurt me. When he did try to, he would back away. He was too weak that he never had confidence in himself. A father's supposed to be the protector of his daughter. He should've forgiven me when I got pregnant. He should've been stronger. He should've been the best pastor that he could be, helping others._

 _He did a lot of wrongs but why did I feel so hurt knowing that he's dying?_

 _I was sitting on the waiting area when I felt a familiar person sit right next to me._

" _Anastasia, I didn't expect to see you here," it was Carla._

" _Carla," I simply uttered her name._

" _I am glad you're here."_

 _I didn't reply._

 _She took a deep breath before saying, "Ana, I am really sorry for everything I did to you."_

" _Huh?" I was beyond surprised._

 _This time, I decided to take a look at her and she changed. She looked older yet more stressed-free. She actually looked good._

 _She gave me a smile before saying, "I am sorry for everything I did to you."_

" _Why did you?" I finally asked._

" _I am so jealous of you, Anastasia. You don't have an idea of how jealous I felt."_

 _Wait . . . Carla's jealous of me?_

" _When I met your father, he was a poor man living in the streets and he had a baby and it just tore my heart open. At first, it was an act of kindness but when we talked I just fell in love with him. I fell in love so much that I asked him to marry me in exchange of a stable life for you. I promised to give you food, give you clothing, and give you every single thing a baby girl can ask for. He instantly agreed. There's no way he can afford a great life for you._

 _After we wed, I thought he's going to love but he never did. It had always been Sierra this and Sierra that and Sierra every single day. He never got over your mother. Then, I couldn't take it anymore. You were my outlet, Ana. I tried to love you but I couldn't. Each time he'd intervene when I . . . scold you, I'd threaten to break our marriage off and send you back to the streets. It's unfair, you know. He loved you so much that he stayed with me."_

 _I couldn't find the words to say._

 _Carla continued, "I envy you. Christian loves you. He really does. After your divorce, Ray got divorced too. It was bloody, dear. It really was. I wouldn't allow him to end our marriage but of course, you weren't there so he had no reason to stay with me. Ray was diagnosed with colon cancer and Christian was the one who helped him financially. He paid for the hospital bill and all that in exchange of one thing: never tell you all about this._

 _Your father thinks he deserves to die without you bothering about him. Your father thinks so. Christian kept his promise, you know that. You hurt him so much but he still helped your father and fulfilled the promise. The thing is Ray's going to die anytime now and Christian knows that you need to be with him before he goes._

 _I am sorry, Ana. I am so sorry for everything I did."_

 _She was crying in front of me and I gave her a sad smile. Despite everything she told me, I'll never fully understand my Dad. Then again, love's never a "why" it's a "what". You love and that's just it, no questions._

 _With my calm voice I told her, "I appreciate your apology, Carla but I can't ever forgive you."_

 _She froze._

" _Thank you but I just can't."_

 _She nodded, completely understanding._

 _~S.A.~_

 _He was a human pin cushion. He was so skinny and he was bald. He was far from the man I imagined him to be. When I was in New York, I thought of how he must have celebrated when I was out of his life. It was the total opposite. He was suffering without me._

" _Ana," his voice was too broken that I had to treat him like glass._

" _Dad," I whispered the word I've avoided for years._

" _Ana," he reached out his hands despite the weakness._

 _I intertwined my fingers with his, like how it used to when I was a little girl. I sat on the side of his bed, staring directly into his fragile state. It was a thousand daggers piercing through my heart. I felt like I couldn't take it._

" _Christian told me you're here, Dad. You're crazy, do you know that? Why did you ask him not to tell me, huh? Why tell me when everything's too late?!" I couldn't help it._

 _He smiled a little and replied completely out of the topic, "I miss you, my Ana."_

" _I miss you too, Dad." I am going to miss you even more._

 _Dad held my hand tighter this time, "I am so sorry. Daddy is so sorry."_

 _I closed my eyes and brought his hand close to my lip. "Dad, Carla told me everything and you are crazy, do you know that? You are so crazy! I would've lived on the street without anything! Why did you do it, Dad? Why? I would've found a way. I would've—"_

" _Remember the first toy Carla and I bought you?"_

 _He was struggling to breathe and the words were cutting off but I still comprehended._

" _I don't remember," I was a child younger than Sierra._

" _We were sleeping in an alley when you saw a little girl your age with a Barbie doll. You said you wanted one and of course, I was so hurt because I couldn't give it to you. We had nothing when we came to Seattle. All we had was the will to survive. I couldn't even give you food to eat. How could I give you a doll? After marrying Carla, you had your first doll. You were so happy that I didn't bother to be happy."_

 _I remembered it now. It was the doll kept on the top of my shelf._

" _Dad, she hurt me. Maybe not physically but emotionally. You know that. Why?!"_

" _I just wanted the better life to give to you."_

" _I'm not a worldly person, Dad."_

" _That's where I went wrong. I'm so sorry," he said and I cried harder._

" _Dad, I love you, okay? Despite everything, you are my father and I love you."_

 _He smiled, "When I read the story that got published in the daily paper, I was astonished. Your mother always said it but I never told you about it. Ana, you were never planned. I was the teenage boy so lost coming from a family of criminals. Sierra was a teenage girl born to a family fighting for law and justice. We fell in love and then you came. She told me one night that you're a seraphic accident."_

" _Dad . . ."_

" _I love you, Ana. I love you so much. Daddy's sorry for everything, baby girl. Daddy is sorry."_

" _It's okay, Dad, it's okay."_

 _With that, he smiled before his eyes shut never to open again._

" _Dad?! Dad?! DAD! Nurse! Nurse!" I called out and they rushed inside. Dad's other hand was on his chest the entire time and the nurse took a small square shaped thing from his grasp before handing it over to me. They pushed me out of the room and from the small transparent glass from the door, they were pumping his chest and I instantly knew that it's too late._

 _I took a look at what the nurses handed over to me and it was a photo of Dad and Mom. It was candid as Dad stared at Mom as she was looking up to the sky. They were so happy and in love._

 _At the back of the photo it said: And they lived happily ever after._

 _The door swung open and the doctor informed me, "I'm sorry Ma'am but he's gone now."_

 _I almost fell down the ground but strong arms caught me. I glanced and it was Christian._

 _I cried until I was able to accept that Dad's not dead. He's living with Mom._

 **Author's Note: Ana's story was not about him or her or Sierra. It's about Ray and Sierra. Yeah, I know the story's not perfect but I am trying my best. Thanks for all your responses. Positive or not, I learn something from it.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Margo.**


	41. Part 3 Chapter 13

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Added another thing here: Normal font represents third person POV.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Ana wept so much that no tear came out of her eyes during the funeral. I held her hand the entire time and she never broke down. It was as if she accepted it. Ray and Ana made peace before he rested and that's what made me happy. As a father to another, he deserved to get his daughter's forgiveness before he passed away.**

 **It was over and everyone left except for Ana and me. We were still staring at Ray's young grave when the sky cried with us. Ana took her umbrella out and concealed us from the wet. I took it from her and wrapped her hand around my side, resting her cheek against my arm.**

" **Do you know why people wear black in funerals, Ana?"**

" **Why?"**

" **It goes back to the era of the Roman Empire where they wear black togas to symbolize their mourning for the person they love."**

 **She smiled a little at the small piece of trivia I've given her.**

 **Then she broke the silence when she asked, "Why didn't you tell me, Christian? I know he asked you not to but why?"**

" **I honoured him, Ana. After listening to every word he said, I completely understood. As a man and as a father, to see Sierra living a life in the streets would be like murder to me. Of course, I didn't agree that he let Carla hurt you like that but he loves you and he thought you're better off without him. I respected what he wanted, Ana. He wouldn't let me help him if I told you."**

" **I just wished that I was there for him."**

" **I've gotten to know him. I visited every day if I could. He always talked about your mother and that's one thing I admired about him. He's aware that Mr. Mayor and Becky are great people but he hid from them since he knew that they can take you away."**

 **She closed her eyes and said, "Thank you, Christian for taking care of my father."**

" **You don't have to thank me, Ana. It was my pleasure. We bonded and I avoided talking about you since I was so angry. We mostly talked about our daughter and he would listen lovingly. Then, he would tell me to break up with Andrea which I knew that you know already."**

 **That got her intrigued. "What did she say about the break-up?"**

" **Yeah, that was so rude of me but I just needed to. I broke up with her over the phone and I never got any response. Knowing Andrea, she'll just write a song about it. She'll say that she's the victim and all that but who cares?"**

" **You didn't love her, did you?"**

 **That's when I looked at her and said, "Ana, you're the only one I've ever loved."**

 **She gave me a sweet smile, eyes glimmering.**

" **You know what? You have to be proud of your dad. He's been weak, yes but in the fight against cancer he was at his strongest. He never gave up until life gave up on him."**

 **She kissed me on the lips before she said, "I am proud of him, Christian."**

 **Then, the raindrops got heavier and she grabbed the umbrella from my hand. She closed it and we were soaking wet. Wearing black and soaked underneath the sobbing grey clouds, it was rare but we wouldn't trade it for the world.**

" **Let me be the writer, Christian."**

" **Yeah?"**

" **I just realized that life's like the weather and it's never sunny all the time. When it rains, you don't have to bring an umbrella with you to protect yourself. As long as you're with that one person then you could fight the rain together."**

 **That made my heart swell. Damn, I love her.**

 **She whispered truthfully, "I love you, Christian."**

 **She's so wet that her dress hugged her body tightly. "I love you too, Ana. Now let's go and make love."**

 **And we did.**

 **~S.A.~**

One day ago . . .

It was another afternoon in the school where Carson and Sierra were coloring their drawings. The two were inseparable. Even the teachers noticed the friendship that developed between the two.

Carson was a handsome little boy. His blonde hair reminded Sierra of Belle's gown. What made him look more attractive was that his eyes were so unique and beautiful: blue and brown but never meeting. Apart from that, he was a cold bully but a softy underneath. Sierra had a crush on him before she even knew that crush existed.

"What are you drawing, Carson?" she asked. The teacher asked them to draw a significant object which was part of their day yesterday. Sierra drew a dumbbell since she helped her Gran Gran count all the way up to 100 for her arm workout. That's how she learned how to count: helping Gran Gran in her fitness routine.

Carson answered, "It's one hundred dollars."

"A hundred dollars?!"

"Shh! I'll only tell you this because you are my best friend. Mommy said never tell this to anybody. Not even to our teacher."

"What is it?" Sierra whispered.

"I saw new Daddy punch Mommy like a boxer. He screamed at her and her eyes got colored black! Mommy was crying but she gave me one hundred dollars just to keep it a secret. It's our secret, okay? Shh. . ."

At the age of four, Sierra felt bad for Carson. He was really sad and he was frightened but maintained a strong face. The poor little boy felt so much pain. Sierra felt so much for him.

"I will tell you another secret, Sierra," Carson said.

"What?"

"I will run away tomorrow because I have one hundred dollars. I will work."

"You will work?"

"Yes, working is just opening a computer and typing something. I am rich now because I have one hundred dollars."

Sierra almost cried, "But you will say goodbye to me?"

"I will be back, Sierra." The little girl wasn't convinced.

~S.A.~

"Little Sierra sad today, huh? No, no! That is not acceptable!" Dennis acted like a clown so that Sierra will be happy but she just stayed so lonely. He did a number of tricks. He made coins appear out of nowhere and he made cards change colors. He was such a magician but Sierra was too sad to enjoy his show.

"What is bothering you, Sierra?" Dennis asked. He thought the child must have missed her parents.

"Carson's leaving," Sierra cried.

"What do you mean he's leaving?"

She was his best friend but it wasn't a secret she could keep to herself. She told Dennis about every single detail. She told him about the one hundred dollars just so Carson can keep his mouth shut from what he saw and how he's running away to have work. Dennis knew what he should do but it took a lot of courage.

Dennis saw it now.

Carson and Sierra's friendship was more than just that.

It's the beginning of a complicated love story.

~S.A.~

Today (Day of the funeral):

While waiting for Dennis to pick her up, Sierra was talking to her mother over the phone.

"We'll be back there, Sierra, okay? We'll be there tomorrow," Ana sniffled. It was her father's funeral but she didn't want to break the news to Sierra. She didn't want her daughter to be sad.

"Mommy, why are you sad?"

"I am not, Dear." It's oxymoronish when adults teach children not to lie yet they lie to them most of the time.

"I love you, Mommy!"

"I love you too!" Sierra was happy that she could cheer her mother up. The call ended.

"Sierra, we have a surprise for you!" The teacher was acting too excited.

"Ma'am?"

"You're a big Cassiopeia fan, right? Look! Here she is just to meet you!"

Sierra didn't understand her teacher but she looked amazed when she saw Andrea standing before her. She's so beautiful and she looked down to smile gracefully at her. Sierra's not a fan. She doesn't even know her.

Since the breakup, Andrea swore that she'll get the perfect revenge on Christian. She was someone to be worshipped and not someone to be left. Andrea knew exactly how to destroy the man who stepped on her ego. She decided to hold a free concert for the students and she stopped by in the kindergarten classroom.

"I will be right back, Sierra, okay? Enjoy your time with your favourite singer," the teacher left.

Andrea bent and said, "Hello Sierra, I am Andrea, your new mother."

Then, with those little words came a sentence that destroy the four-year old's world.

She shook her head again and again, "No, that's not true! That's not true!"

"You won't believe me? Poor little girl. Let me show you," she got her phone and showed old photos of her and Christian. Sierra was crying out loud.

"You are not my Mommy! I don't have a new Mommy! I have six feet! Daddy, Mommy, Sierra, not you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about but listen, kid, your mommy? That's me!"

"No!"

Andrea laughed, "Stubborn, aren't you?"

The four year old girl felt completely betrayed. All the while she thought she finally got her six feet but it was never it. She didn't know what to do but to cry.

Sierra was sobbing then Carson stood before her feeling so tall compared to Andrea.

"What are you doing to my best friend?"

"Who do we have here? Mind your own business, kid!"

"Nobody hurts my best friend!" With that, he splashed the entire orange juice in his Superman tumbler across her dress. Andrea was insulted as her outfit which cost $10,000 was ruined by a kid.

"Carson! What did you just do? I will talk to you later!" The teacher came back seeing Carson's 'crime'. She then pulled Andrea to the corner to apologize over and over again, as if she were the queen.

Carson talked to his best friend, "What did she say to you?"

"She said she's my new Mommy," Sierra cried and thought that it must have been the reason Ana was so sad over the phone.

Then, the four year old boy made a decision. He held out his hand, "Run away with me."

"Where?"

"To a place where we don't have New Mommy's and Daddy's"

Without a doubt, Sierra took his hand. While the teacher was distracted, they ran away somehow being able to be unnoticed by the school security. They ran and ran, feeling like they could conquer the world with a hundred dollars in Carson's pocket.

~S.A.~

 **I was drawing imaginary circles on Ana's back after we made love for the third time just this afternoon.**

" **I want another baby," Ana said out of the blue.**

" **Then we'll have one," I promised her.**

 **She was about to say something when her phone rang and she said, "It's Dennis." I suddenly felt anxious. Something inside me screamed that something's not fine. Ana and I sat as she put him through loud speaker.**

" **Hello Dennis?"**

" **Ana, Ana, Sierra's missing! Sierra's missing!" Dennis cried out desperately.**

 **Just like that, life was the worst kind of hurricane.**

 **Author's Note:**

 ***hides inside a cave* I hate Andrea. Lol.**

 **And seriously, domestic violence is a sensitive subject matter. After reading 'Picture Perfect' by Jodi Picoult and 'It Ends With Us' by Coleen Hoover, it just left me wondering how it could take effect to a child. I explored the issue with Carson's back story and it's sad to say but it happens every day.**

 **There is more to come in the last two chapters and the epilogue.**

 **Thank you for reading! What are your thoughts about Carson and Sierra?**

 **Thank you!**


	42. Part 3 Chapter 14

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 14**

 **As soon as the plane landed on New York, we wasted no time meeting up with the police and private investigators. Everybody was scared and I was close to killing somebody. I was beyond wrathful. The thought of losing my daughter pushed me off the edge.**

 **The moment you become a parent, your child instantly becomes your world. When he or she went missing then a part of you will be forever lost as well. I didn't know what to do. I actually had things sorted out but this time I didn't know what to do. A part of me wished to find her to the end of the world and a part of me wanted to never stop crying until she came back.**

 **We were in her classroom and the teacher was extremely nervous to say the least.**

" **What happened? Where is our Sierra?!" Mayor demanded. He was losing it. They lost their Sierra before. It would hurt more to lose another Sierra. Our Sierra.**

" **I am so sorry," the teacher looked so scared that I wanted to share until she told us where the kids went. Apparently, Carson was gone too. His parents were here, and her mother was so scared. Despite the bruises in her eyes she cried out loud. His father flew all the way from Canada and both were scared shitless. They were like Ana and me, only that we weren't blaming each other with what happened.**

" **I am taking Carson to Canada with me after this! How could you ever marry that man?!"**

" **I love him," Carson's mother recited like a mantra. My heart broke for the kid. It was obvious that the "him" was her new husband who kept on hurting her.**

 **Dennis answered the question of the investigator, "Yesterday Sierra told me something confidential about Carson and how he wanted to run away. Maybe she went with him?" That left me more frightened. Our daughter ran away with Carson? What's going on? My daughter had no reason to run away!**

 **Ana held on to me tighter and this was the first time I lacked strength. I couldn't carry it any longer. I just can't. I cannot bear this amount of fear. I used to be fearless but the thoughts about Carson and Sierra just made me want to die. What if someone had them? What if they were kidnapped? The police told us that they sent men to roam around the streets of New York but that didn't comfort me at all.**

 **I hired some of my men too.**

" **She had no reason to run away! Our daughter will not run away!" Ana screamed.**

" **Surprise, surprise!" To my shock, Andrea appeared alongside her bodyguards. She wore really high heels and my heart raced by the thought of what she did. With the evil grin in her face and the way she felt triumphant over our suffering, she had something to do with this.**

" **Andrea? What are you doing here?"**

" **Breaking up with me over the phone? That is not acceptable! See what I did? I just ruined your family. Where's your daughter now, huh? She left you! You left me? Now she left you! It's Andrea, and you can't stop her."**

 **I felt disgusted of myself for ever being with her. Andrea's a total lunatic. Everybody wanted me to date her and that's why I did. I wanted nothing more but to hurt the hell out of her. I wanted to kill her on the spot but Ana's grip was too tight around my wrist.**

" **Andrea, with what you did, you just proved to me how I was right about not loving you back. I've never loved you, Andrea. It's always about Ana."**

" **How dare you?" She reminded me of Mia. I was not wondering anymore, about why they became really close friends. They were both so childish and they couldn't accept defeat. I looked at Ana and she was as angry as I was.**

" **What did you say to my great-granddaughter?!" This was the real challenge to Andrea. Becky looked like a monster right at the moment.**

" **I just told her that I'm her new mommy," she said almost too casually. What. A. Bitch.**

" **You can't get away with this!" With that, Becky knocked down all of her bodyguards. I was so dazed looking at the scene before me. Becky punched them and she had those Bruce Lee moves. Everything was like a movie before us. Becky just kicked the asses of three bodyguards and this had been the first time Andrea looked so scared.**

 **When Becky almost hit her, Ana intervened. With all her strength, she punched Andrea just once but it was too strong that she was unconscious on the ground. Ana was so mad that she started to cry.**

" **Call the media. They have to know what Andrea did," Mayor ordered. Andrea messed with the wrong family.**

 **I turned quiet when Ana's tears poured down. This was my fault. I had no one to blame but myself.**

 **I didn't know I was saying it out loud until Ana interlaced her fingers with mine and said with so much strength, "This is not your fault, Christian. We'll find Sierra. We will."**

 **Lord, help us.**

 **~S.A.~**

It was raining heavily when the two children decided to take a rest in an unfamiliar alley just beside where the cats were taking shelter in a giant carton, at least, giant for the two of them. It was really smelly and the two didn't like it, having been grown up in a luxurious household. Sierra can't complain though. She'd rather live this way than have a new mommy.

"Carson, you'll get wet!"

"It's okay!" The umbrella was too small and it could only protect one of them. Sierra wasn't ready for this. She wasn't prepared with her things but Carson was. He held the umbrella for her while he got wet from the raindrops.

"You'll get sick!"

"We have a hundred dollars, remember? We're rich! We can buy anything we want!"

"I am hungry, Carson."

"Yes, me too. I bringed onion rings. Let's eat."

From his small Superman backpack, Carson took his junk food out and shared some of the onion rings with Sierra. The two ate under the rain and they were too confident that they could make it through life with a small bill. They were too young to run away but too young to face the tough reality.

Both kids didn't understand why everybody laughed or said no when they said they needed a job. Carson repeated, "I know how to open a computer" and Sierra said, "I know how to type." They had much confidence to make it through.

Carson told Sierra, "Daddy found a new mommy and mommy always drink the yellow thing and she said I was too young to drink it. Then, she found new daddy and he's very mean."

"I think my new Mommy will be mean."

Then, out of nowhere a light bulb appeared atop Carson's head.

"Sierra, I have an idea."

"What's your idea, Carson?"

"Let's get married when we grow up!"

Sierra's eyes lit up. The thought of marrying Carson just formed imaginary hearts in her eyes. "Yes, let's get married when we grow up!"

"I think ten years old is old enough for us to marry!"

"Yes! We will get married when we're ten!"

Carson added, "When we get married, we shall have no new mommy or daddy. It will be just us. We will be mommy and daddy and no one is new."

"Yes, Carson, I do," Sierra answered sweetly.

"Promise?"

"Promise"

Together they sealed the deal as Carson gave her the engagement ring. He slid the onion ring through her tiny third finger.

The rain grew louder and stronger but there was light directed to the two of them. It took time for their eyes to adjust until they finally realized what's going on.

The huge men grabbed his walkie-talkie and declared with relief, "We found them."

~S.A.~

 **It was the first time I scolded Taylor for not driving fast enough. In fact, he was already overspeeding. I didn't care though. They finally found the kids and I felt like the heaviest weight on my shoulders has been taken out. They found the two safe and sound in an alley and I was beyond grateful.**

 **As the car stopped in front of about four police cars, Ana and I stepped out of it in a mili-second. There was Sierra wrapped around a coat, shivering from the rain but not wet. Carson, who was right beside her, looked as if he had been taking a bath for too long. I couldn't contain my ears any longer and so did Ana.**

" **Sierra!" I exclaimed as I swept her off with my arms and turned her around and around. I kept kissing her face and so did Ana. She broke down, as we finally held our baby girl. We finally found her! That's the miracle we've gotten.**

" **Don't ever do that to us again, baby, don't, okay? We love you! Don't do this again," I begged her as I locked her in an embrace.**

" **Carson! Carson!" The little boy's parents were so relieved that he was alive and well. I took a glance at the kid and he honestly was shocked but happy that his Mom and Dad were around for him. It will break his heart knowing they'll separate again.**

" **I have a new Mommy, Daddy?" Sierra cried.**

 **I shook my head again and again.**

 **That's when Ana took charge and told her, "I will be your only Mommy, Sierra. That woman who talked to you, she's a witch. She transforms into an ugly old lady during night time. Don't believe her, okay? Because it will be you, Mommy, and Daddy. Forever."**

 **With Ana's delivery, Sierra felt so happy.**

 **That's when I set her to the ground and said, "Do me a favour, my little butterfly. Count our feet, come on."**

" **One, two, three, four, five—" her voice cracked, "—six."**

" **Yes, six feet. Just the three of us. You'll not only get six feet. You will have a brother or sister soon!"**

" **Even twenty feet?"**

 **I tried hard not to laugh at that. That required seven more children to fulfil her request but I just said, "Any number of feet you'd like, I promise that it's just Mommy and Daddy with you."**

" **No one new?"**

" **No one," Ana assured.**

 **Then, she hugged my legs and Ana and I bent down the ground and the three of us embraced each other, filled with content. This was home.**

" **I love you. I am sorry," she said.**

" **We love you too," Ana replied and I kissed both of my girls.**

 **Sooner than later, the whole family arrived. We were complete.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **One chapter to go.**

 **Thank you.**

 **What do you think?**

 **Margo.**


	43. Part 3 Chapter 15

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Part 3**

 **Chapter 15**

 _Carson's leaving for Canada since his Dad insisted he's the right person take care of him. We met his stepmother and she's actually very nice, twenty years younger than his Dad but very nice. Carson's mother, on the other hand, didn't want to leave his stepfather despite all the hurt. We felt so bad but the police couldn't slip it away. That man needed to be put in jail. Carson' grandparents will take care of his mother while he's away in Canada with his father._

 _As expected, Sierra's heart was broken as soon as she found out._

" _You know what? You and Carson will still be best friends even though he's in Canada."_

 _She was sad, "Maybe he'll forget me."_

 _We were in her room just an hour after she bade goodbye with Carson. I didn't understand but Carson left her a few bags of onion rings. It wasn't really her favourite._

" _Mommy, I will miss him."_

" _He will miss you too, Sierra."_

" _Mommy, will he forget me."_

 _That's when I bent down to tuck her hair behind her ear and tell her, "He won't forget you, Sierra. He loves you too. I am sure you know that. You two are best friends and tell you what, even though you're in America and he in Canada then it will still be okay."_

 _She asked innocently, "But he's not in school with me anymore."_

 _That's when I told her, "When you love someone, no matter where they are, they never leave your heart. He may leave the country but he'll never leave you. I know you're too young to understand but that's how it goes."_

" _What if he comes back when we're eleven? We're supposed to get married when we're ten."_

 _I laughed at that and Christian stood by the door. The protective father demeanour wasn't there anymore. He was leaning against the doorframe looking at the two of us. He didn't freak out about the marriage thing._

" _You know what love is? Love means finding each other despite the years apart."_

 _I saw Christian smile as he understood that it also meant the two of us. Sierra wrapped her arms around my neck as she stopped crying about Carson's departure. They're still kids and I'm confident that a lot of things will happen before they get their happily ever after. Right now, she'll be my little girl._

" _Sierra, someone's here to see you."_

 _Our daughter turned and saw Juliana. The Great Dane barked excitedly as it ran to her. The two clearly missed each other. We give them the time as they played on the floor._

" _You're not freaked about the marriage, huh?" I teased Christian and he just rolled his eyes._

 _He stated, "She's never getting married."_

 _I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a chaste kiss. I love this man so much. I couldn't imagine life without him._

 _Juliana barked behind us and when we looked at them, Sierra was having that goofy smile on her face. Yes, she truly believed that Mommy and Daddy are back together and we're family. Against all odds. We'll forever be a family._

 _~S.A.~_

 _It was the annual family talent show and it became more exciting now that Christian and Taylor's family were here. Well, this thing was kind of a tradition. Gran's very competitive with this one and she always makes sure that Grandpa goes with what she's doing. Looking at Taylor, I can tell they're very competitive too._

 _The whole GEH is here since the company's undergoing its location transfer. There were a few conflicts but not one that Christian couldn't handle. I guess he's just awesome that way. He's my partner in today's event._

 _It's nothing much; just an intimate event set with a stage in our garden. Our audiences were the too many bodyguards of my grandparents._

 _Before it started, I sat right next to Grandma and she gave one of her Disney laughs. I was really impressed by her karate skills two weeks ago. It's not normal to have a sixty year old woman knock down huge bodyguards. Gran works really hard for her fitness._

" _Look at Andrea! She's playing victim again. Too bad nobody believes her."_

 _Right after we found Sierra, my grandfather called for a conference right away explaining how he's going to sue Andrea and issue a restraining order with her. He also pulled Sierra out of the school and he pressed charges. He's really knowledgeable in terms of law. I borrowed Gran's new tablet and read the news article._

New York City Mayor vs. Popstar

Two weeks ago, New York City Mayor Watts called for a press conference explaining how his great-granddaughter Sierra Steele-Grey went missing alongside her four-year-old classmate. They were missing for two hours until the police finally found them. Mayor Watts explained that Popstar Cassiopeia was the one who pushed the kids to run off.

The said popstar was Christian Grey's (the CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. and the father of Sierra) ex-girlfriend. Mayor Watts called it, "immature revenge" and "beyond childish".

Meanwhile, Cassiopeia insisted that she had nothing to do with it and that she's the victim since Anastasia Steele "took" Christian away from her, claiming that she was fooled from the start. Fans from social media didn't believe her though. She was bullied so hard that she deactivated all of her social media accounts including her Instagram which had 250,000,000 followers.

Mia Grey, Christian's sister released a statement, "Oh poor Cassiopeia! She's my best friend! I will definitely fight this battle with her."

In the meanwhile, the charges are still pressed against her as Mayor Watts is not giving up. Cassiopeia and her side are ready to fight.

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 _There will always be oppositions but they didn't matter as long as I'm with my family._

" _Let the show begin!" Gran announced._

 _~S.A.~_

 _The judges were the bodyguards and they were more judgmental than Simon Cowell. It was nerve-racking. All of us aimed to win this little family contest since it meant getting one year supply of pizza from the pizza house a few blocks away. Well, pizza is life as what Gran said._

 _Taylor, Gail, and Sophie sang hits of Mariah Carey and we were so thrilled when Sophie could hit that whistle note. They're really talented!_

 _Sierra and Juliana performed together and it was a lousy dog act. But since I'm her mother, I was the biggest supporter. Her act took almost an hour since Juliana took so long to sit down and roll. Our patience was tested but it was worth it since Sierra was very happy._

 _My grandparents? They were crazy. Gran was rapping while Grandad did the beatbox!_

" _Young money! Young money!_

 _Keeping it real, Honey._

 _Look at my collarbones, baby!_

 _Break it down, yo!"_

 _Really crazy but we were on our feet._

 _Then, the amazing act came from Dennis. We always knew he's a magician but never quite this good. He totally read our minds! He covered his eyes with a bandana and asked Gran to take out a random Coke can from the bucket. She took one and Dennis guessed the entire barcode! It was jaw-dropping. Gran tried but she failed._

 _Christian and I were laughing as it was the two of us. We had no chance of winning this so we didn't take it seriously. The two of us performed an interpretative dance to Unchained Melody and Sierra was over the moon. It's her favourite song after all. I knew the steps so well. I would turn around three times and face Christian so he'd carry me._

 _But when I faced him my heart stopped beating. Time stood still. Everything else was gone. It was just the two of us._

 _He was kneeling down, eyes about to cry._

" _Anastasia Rose Steele, we've been through a lot. I know that I'm far from perfect and I've made mistakes but I will love you forever. I can't promise a perfect life but I promise to treat you as perfectly as I could. Will you marry me?" The ring was shining so bright but it didn't compare to the way my eyes shined._

 _This was it. There's this moment where the two of us would be officially be together forever. No one to tell us what to do. No one to intervene. Just him and me. Christian and Ana. Like the way it should have been._

" _YES!" I answered and he spun me around after sliding the ring through my finger._

 _Dennis won the talent show that night but I was beyond the winner._

 _~S.A.~_

 _It was time to eat and everybody can't stop congratulating us. I was eating beside Dennis while Christian was talking to my grandfather. It seemed to be a very serious conversation. Meanwhile, Sierra was running and running in the garden continually screaming that Daddy and Mommy are getting married._

 _Dennis was really happy for me and I was so happy to have a friend like him._

" _You know what, Dennis? Why don't you be a professional magician? I mean you can do so much more than being an all-around guy."_

 _He smiled and said mysteriously, "There are some loves that refuse to die."_

" _Huh? What does that mean?" How does it even relate?_

 _He took a deep breath and began reminiscing, "I was a homeless boy when your grandparents took me in. I worked for them in exchange of education. Then, at the age of ten, I realized I was in love with the girl of my dreams."_

 _My breath was hitched._

" _I was and am in love with your mother, Anastasia."_

" _Really?" I barely whispered._

" _She's the girl a boy could ever wish for. She's far from perfect. She's pretty stubborn and a big rebel, but it was her mind I fell in love with. She thought so deeply that I had not control but to swim in it. I was marvelled by her imagination and she always told me stories to keep me positive in life._

 _Sierra wrote stories consisting of magic and I did everything I could to make it real. I studied tricks and made it real for her. She was always happy when I performed. Then, of course, not everyone you love will love you back. I told her how I felt but she said she loved me but not in that way. It was painful. I didn't talk to her for a year. Well, what did I expect? I was their houseboy and she's a princess._

 _I was furious when she told me that she's with Raymond. He's that bad boy son of the biggest drug dealer of the state. I always knew Sierra was a rebel but I didn't know that it was as intense as this. She was so in love with Raymond, you have no idea and he felt the same way. I helped them run away together._

 _That night when they're supposed to leave, Sierra got shot and I saw how broken Raymond was. He was sobbing while holding you as you ran away. I could still feel it, you know. I could still feel Sierra's last seconds as she lied on the ground and I begged her to stay. I hugged her so close to my chest._

 _Her last words were to take care of her parents whom she had done wrong, and that's why I never left them."_

 _My tears fell automatically upon hearing Dennis' story._

" _I don't know what to say," I honestly told him._

" _Ana, I won tonight because of magic. But you know what the real magic is? Real magic is how Sierra's still here and not even time can stop its force," he pointed to his chest. I can't believe this. I never thought Dennis had this story._

 _I looked at Christian as I wiped my tear and he gave me a wink._

 _Some loves refuse to die indeed._

 _~S.A.~_

 _Two weeks later, Sierra moved to a new school and she couldn't get away from me since I got a new job as a writing teacher. I was too ecstatic upon learning that I get to teach kids the basics of writing. Well, Sierra comes and leaves school with me. She didn't like the idea but she had no choice._

 _It's the end of our first day and I just fetched her from her classroom._

 _As we were walking all the way to the exit, I told her, "How's first day here?"_

" _It's okay. I have a new friend!"_

" _Really?"_

" _Her name is Liz!"_

" _Oh, is it short for Elizabeth?"_

" _No, it's short for Lizard!"_

 _Oh . . . "Are you sure?"_

" _Yes! Her name is Lizard Holmes."_

 _I didn't comment. I won't ever name my baby Lizard! It's horrendous._

 _We held hands as we went out of school but upon reaching the exit, I was beyond thrilled. "Daddy!" Sierra let go of my hand as she ran to wrap her arms around Christian's legs._

" _Hi Little Butterfly!"_

 _I slowly walked towards him and said, "The transfer's done?"_

 _He nodded, "It's official. GEH is here in New York. We're not associated with Seattle anymore."_

 _I liked that so I smiled._

 _His hands were hidden in his back and Sierra and I gasped as he revealed what he's been hiding. There were two roses for both of us. He handed us the red roses and I was just as cheerful as Sierra. She was practically jumping up and down._

 _This was like high school when he'd give me one rose per day as soon as class ended._

 _It was more special now that Sierra's included._

 _Well, he had it wrong though. "Christian, I hate to break it to you but we need one more rose."_

" _Huh?" He was confused at first but he almost jumped when he realized, "Ana, are you..."_

" _Yes, we're having another baby. Sierra's going to be a baby sister."_

 _My stomach was still flat but it didn't stop the two from crying from so much happiness. We looked like lunatics in front of these people. I didn't care though. We were happy lunatics._

 _Christian knelt down to kiss my stomach and Sierra did the same._

 _We fell in love, we got married, we had a baby. Only it was backwards._

 _And I wouldn't want it any other way._

 _We walked along the streets, six feet about to be eight soon._

 **Author's Note:**

 **OH. MY. GOODNESS.**

 **I can't believe this. I am staring at my computer right now, still in shock that I have read the 43** **rd** **chapter of my story. My gosh guys, this is bittersweet.**

 **Review for this chapter?**

 **Next Up: Epilogue**

 **THANK YOU!**

 **Margo.**


	44. Epilogue

**Author's Note posted below.**

 **Epilogue**

 _One year later . . ._

 _Rainy Saturday mornings are the best. I didn't have to go to school to teach. Wearing my husband's sweater, pulling my unwashed hair up in a messy bun, and sipping coffee that's smoking from being trapped in a mug, it's the best way to write. In one of the rarest times, I wrote about myself as the center of the drabble. My black inked pen and paper expressed the words running in my mind._

The Garden

by Anastasia Rose Steele-Grey

Once there was a girl who lived in a garden. Surrounded by flowers, she bloomed into a fair woman. Little did she know that growing up meant meeting different kind of flowers. She met sunflowers, flowers that still look up to the sun despite experiencing bad soil. They encouraged her to see the bright side in life despite everything.

 _I recalled Grandpa and Gran as they always taught me these three words: life goes on. They lost their daughter in such an early time yet there's no hint of bitterness with them. Gran told me once, "Life goes on, dear. Just pretend those are my words, okay? Shhh . . . Robert Frost might hear us._

She met rhododendrons. They're so beautiful yet they're poisonous! Those flowers told her not to trust anyone that easily.

 _Mia used to be my best friend. I always thought it will be that way. The truth is people are not who they seem to be. What I thought was true was definitely a lie. Recently, Andrea released a new album all about Christian and me but the sales didn't reach to ten thousand dollars in one week. Mia then said, "Oh! Cassiopeia? She was never my friend at all." Funny how she disowned her when she no longer had her popstar status._

 _Ethan broke up with her claiming she changed. She's devastated but would it make me so bad to admit that I agreed with his decision? She finally understood what it meant to lose someone you love most._

Other than the rhododendrons, she became wary of the poison ivy. They caused nothing but pain. They deserved to be avoided.

 _I thought back to the family Christian and I grew up with. They were the worst. At least, Carla apologized. I didn't forgive her and she understood. I heard she's still active in the ministry and she's helping the congregation who are need. On the other hand, the Grey's law firm shut down and they're drowning in debt. They're trapped forever._

Her favourite flower in the garden? The red rose, of course. It only bloomed forever.

 _The look on Christian's eyes as we wed for the second time was a picture in my mind I'd like to keep forever. We got married in front of our friends and family. It was real, this time. It was our choice. It was beautiful. I looked at the ring in my third finger upon remembering that day._

Not only did the rose bloom for her but it attracted so many little butterflies. Now there are two butterflies and there'll be more to come. She never felt so loved in her life.

Her life's a garden filled with flowers of different potentials and characteristics. Despite everything, she will keep the beautiful flowers close to her heart and she will be happy despite all the poisonous ones. Harmful or not, flowers make up the garden. Rain or shine, it will always be a kaleidoscope of colors. The garden is beautiful. Life is beautiful.

 _I decided I was done writing my story so I looked back and smiled as I watched my husband sleep soundly. Our son, Teddy just at three months old slept on his chest dreaming about happiness. Sierra, who just turned five, was on Christian's side hugging him close, always will be the Daddy's girl. I almost teared up. They're my rose and butterflies and no one else's._

 _That's when I knew my writing was lacking. I took a deep breath and realized that this was the first time I'm writing this. I meant it. I do._

She lived happily ever after.

 _The weather's still gloomy and it makes me sleepy. I lied down to Christian's free side and he was half-awake. "Hey," he sounded drowsy._

" _Sleep now, Baby," I whispered._

" _I love you," I didn't care if he was still dreaming or not._

" _I love you too," I assured him before he went back to sleep. I kissed his forehead, then Teddy's, then Sierra's before going to sleep._

 **Author's Note:**

 **It's officially done now and I honestly can't believe it. This story has drained me for some reason. I am not a teenage mother so I have to increase my level of empathy. I also do have that dual side of a writer. I know it's supposed to be drama but I can't let the comedic side of me go. I love Becky. Her character is my stress-reliever and I hope it's the same with you.**

 **This story is very dear to my heart being the longest story I've written. There's never a dull moment writing this one. This story is like "I NEED TO UPDATE" and NOT "I WANT TO UPDATE."**

 **What kept me going was YOU! This story is tagged as completed because of YOU.**

 **You read, you followed, you favorited, and you reviewed. I didn't work on this alone.**

 **THANK YOU! Until next time!**

 **Margo.**


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